President Ulysses S. Grant met his wife and future first lady, Julia Dent as a young army Lieutenant. He met her at her father's farm, White Haven. The farm produced wheat, corn, squashes and other fruits and vegetables. Also on the farm doing much the work were many enslaved African American men, women, and children who were owned as property by Julia's father. Ulysses and Julia were married in St. Louis and would later have four children. After being away from his family, Ulysses left the army and moved to White Haven to live with them. Here Ulysses worked as a farmer, tending to the crops and animals on the farm. He also built Hardscrabble, a cabin for his family but Julia didn't like it and the family moved back to the White Haven house. Ulysses had a dog named Leo, who would help the enslaved cook, Mary Robinson catch chickens for dinner. Ulysses owned one enslaved man in St. Louis named William Jones, whom Ulysses later freed in 1859. Ulysses would struggle as a farmer as well as in other jobs in the St. Louis area. Even though these were difficult times the family was still together. At the beginning of the Civil War he volunteered to serve his country again in the army to save the Union. As the fighting progressed, Ulysses became determined to end slavery. Before the war ended, the enslaved people living at White Haven had left, searching for their freedom. General Ulysses S. Grant commanded the armies which won the war and ended slavery in 1865. Due to his success and popularity, the American people elected President of the United States in 1868!
