Existing comment:
At the end of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) was hailed a national hero and became a popular candidate for the presidency. Socially reticent and politically aloof, Grant never sought high office, but given his conscientious sense of duty, he would obey the will of the people. On March 4, 1869, he became the eighteenth president. Now, 150 years later, we can look back at aspects of his eight years in office (1869-1877) through a selection of his imagery in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Of special interest is the work and commentary of Thomas Nast (1840-1902), the highly acclaimed political satirist of his era. |