Syndication News Column:
Ulysses S. Grant

General Ulysses S. Grant as seen during the American Civil War in Cold Harbor, Virginia.
(The photo was provided courtesy of the Library of Congress, 1864.)

While most area residents know that Grant County was named after Ulysses S. Grant, few may realize that it was General Ulysses S. Grant, not President Grant, for which the county was named.

When the county was created by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature in 1868, Mr. Grant was not yet President.  At that time, he had just finished serving as the Acting Secretary of War in the administration of President Andrew Johnson.  It was during the following year that General Grant began serving as the President of the United States.

The “S”, by the way, is for “Simpson”.

Grant County was created from lands that had been part of Dona Ana County, which initially stretched from Texas to the Colorado River.  (Yes, Arizona used to be part of New Mexico Territory.)

Initially, Grant County was substantially larger than its present size.  It included what is today the western section of Luna County and the whole of Hidalgo County;  the first was formed in 1901, while the second came into being in 1920.

New Mexico is one of 15 states that has one of its key divisions named for a “Grant”.  Twelve of the states have divisions named in honor of this specific Grant;  the “Grant” counties in the other three states were named after other Grants.

In eleven states, counties have been named after this Grant, while one state – Louisiana – has a parish named in his honor.  Some of the counties were named during the time when Ulysses S. Grant was a general;  the parish and some of the other counties were named after he was elected President.

This specific Grant served our country in several battles during the Mexican-American War as well as during the American Civil War.  The names of a few of these battles may still ring bells for some:  Shiloh, Vicksburg, Petersburg.

Mr. Grant eventually earned the rank as the Commanding General of the United States Army.  He served in this capacity from 1864 to 1869.  General Grant was the individual who accepted the surrender of General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate States of America at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

President Grant served two terms in office.

For many today, President Grant is best known for his image on the $50.00 bill.

Few may realize, though, the role that President Grant took during Reconstruction and how he led efforts to extend civil rights to African Americans.

With strong support of the newly elected President Grant, states throughout the country ratified the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.  This amendment explicitly stated that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”  The amendment took effect in February of 1870.

In that same year as well as in 1871, President Grant signed into law three legislative acts passed by Congress that helped African Americans and others in the South.  Together, these Enforcement Acts made it illegal under Federal law to use violence to intimidate or stop people from voting.  These laws were directed against the terrorist actions taken by the Ku Klux Klan and others in the South to deny the rights of citizenship to recently freed slaves.  The Ku Klux Klan and others used intimidation and violence against not only African Americans, but also against those who supported the rights of African Americans and Americans who stood in the way of white supremacy.

Enforcement of these laws temporarily allowed large numbers of African Americans to exercise their Constitutional rights as citizens of the United States.

Within a few years, though, the tide against equality had turned.  For many African Americans, especially in Southern states, Constitutional rights were not able to be exercised for almost a century.

Ulysses S. Grant as seen in about the year that Grant County, New Mexico was founded.
(The photo was provided courtesy of the Library of Congress, circa 1868.)

© 2020 Richard McDonough