Скачать или смотреть Ulysses S Grant - What Does the S Stand For?

Did you know Ulysses S. Grant’s famous “S” doesn’t stand for anything?
It’s one of the strangest clerical errors in American history — and it happened before he ever led the Union Army or became President.

Grant was actually born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but when his local congressman Thomas L. Hamer nominated him for West Point in 1839, he mistakenly wrote down the name Ulysses S. Grant, thinking the “S” stood for his mother’s maiden name, Simpson.

When Grant arrived at the U.S. Military Academy, he tried to correct the error, but the records were already official — and the bureaucracy refused to change them. So he kept the name, joking later that “the S stood for nothing.”

Cadets noticed his initials “U.S.” and began calling him “Sam”, short for “Uncle Sam.” Ironically, the nickname stuck — and the man who went on to command all Union armies ended up sharing initials with the nation he fought for.

🎖️ Timeline Recap:

1822: Born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Ohio.

1839: Nominated to West Point — name mistakenly changed to Ulysses S. Grant.

1843: Graduates West Point under the new name.

1861–1865: Leads Union forces to victory in the Civil War.

1869–1877: Serves as the 18th President of the United States.

Grant’s unshakable calm, courage under fire, and quiet sense of duty defined him — regardless of what his name said on paper.

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Some images courtesy of Wiki Media Commons.