George Washington | John Quincy Adams | James Buchanan | Ulysses S. Grant | Theodore Roosevelt | William H. Taft | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Richard M. Nixon | Lyndon B. Johnson | Jimmy Carter


Gold casket presented to Ulysses and Julia Grant, late 1870s

Ulysses and Julia Grant, accompanied by their son Jesse, traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, and Africa after the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes. During the last years of his administration, the worst economic depression yet experienced by the nation had damaged Grant's popularity, encouraging this grand tour.

During their trip the Grants were greeted and honored with gifts by local dignitaries, including Pope Leo XIII. Their travels in the late 1870s lasted more than two years and soon were followed by visits to Cuba, the West Indies, and Mexico.



Silk tapestry presented to Ulysses and Julia Grant by the Guild of Japanese Tea Merchants in Yokohama, Japan, late 1870s.

Ulysses S. Grant in 1885, shortly before he died of cancer. He spent his last months working feverishly to finish his memoirs, to provide money for his wife after his death.

Courtesy of Library of Congress