Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States and is considered one of the most successful military commanders in history. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822, in Ohio. He had a long and prosperous career in the military, culminating in his command of the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Secretary of War before being elected president in 1869. As president, Grant worked to improve civil rights for African Americans and to protect them from violence and discrimination. He also presided over a period of economic prosperity known as the Gilded Age. Grant died on July 23, 1885, after a long battle with cancer.

Here are five of the most accomplishments from his time as president:

Civil Rights Act of 1875

-Signing into law the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited discrimination in public places on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Yellowstone National Park
-Issued an Executive Order establishing Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the United States.

African Americans
-Appointing more African Americans to positions in government than any other president up to that time.

Corruption 
-Working to reduce corruption within his own administration and taking steps to improve civil service reform.

Foreign Policy
-Implemented a foreign policy that sought to promote peace and stability around the world. Grant’s accomplishments as president helped to improve the lives of all Americans, regardless of race or background.