Ulysses S. Grant Reading Comprehension, Exercises of Business

Download Ulysses S. Grant Reading Comprehension and more Exercises Business in PDF only on Docsity!     Ulysses  S.  Grant  Reading  Comprehension                                                                       Name:  _________________________       Ulysses  S.  Grant  Biography     Ulysses  Simpson  Grant  was  born  April  26,  1822,  in  Point  Pleasant,  Ohio.  Against  his  father’s  wishes,   Grant  entered  the  US  Military  Academy  and  finished  in  the  middle  of  the  class.  Like  most  military   school  graduates  at  the  time,  Grant  was  sent  to  Mexico  and  served  under  General  Zachary  Taylor   during  the  Mexican  War.  In  other  endeavors  before  the  Civil  War,  Grant  was  unsuccessful.     "Unconditional  Surrender"  Grant     At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  working  at  this  father’s  leather  shop  in  Illinois.   He  was  appointed  by  the  Illinois  governor  as  the  commander  of  a  local  militia  but  soon  rose  to  the   rank  of  brigadier  general  in  the  Civil  War.  Grant’s  aggressive  and  bold  tactics  were  a  major  reason   why  the  Union  Army  was  able  to  defeat  the  Confederates.  His  campaigns  in  the  Mississippi  River   Valley  were  legendary  and  crucial  to  Union  victory.  In  1862,  Grant  led  his  forces  to  victories  at  Fort   Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  in  Tennessee.  At  Fort  Donelson,  Grant  earned  the  nickname  “Unconditional   Surrender  Grant.”  Though  less  successful  at  Shiloh,  Grant’s  leadership  opened  the  way  for  Union   occupation  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Grant  went  on  to  take  the  key  port  city  of  Vicksburg  and  then   broke  Confederate  ranks  at  Chattanooga.     Grant's  Overland  Campaign  and  Lee's  Surrender     In  1864,  President  Lincoln  named  him  general  in  chief  of  the  Union  army.  Grant’s  “Overland   Campaign”  at  such  battles  as  Wilderness,  Cold  Harbor,  and  Petersburg  took  a  heavy  toll  on  Lee’s   Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  despite  the  heavy  casualties  inflicted  upon  his  forces.  Lee’s  weakened   forces  held  the  Confederate  strongholds  of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  for  ten  months  before  being   overwhelmed  by  Grant’s  forces.  On  April  9,  1865,  Ulysses  S.  Grant  received  Lee’s  surrender  and  the   Civil  War  was  over.     Presidency     In  1869,  Grant  was  elected  president  of  the  United  States.  Unlike  his  military  campaigns,  his   presidency  was  less  than  successful  and  plagued  by  corruption.  Although  he  presided  over   Reconstruction  in  the  South,  and  was  a  great  advocate  of  African-­Americans,  Grant  was  seen   associating  with  prospectors  who  tried  to  corner  the  market  in  gold.  When  he  realized  their  plan,  he   authorized  the  Treasury  to  sell  enough  gold  to  ruin  the  plan,  but  the  damage  had  already  been  done   to  business.  After  the  presidency,  Grant  joined  a  financial  firm  that  ultimately  went  bankrupt  and  was   left  virtually  destitute.  In  1885,  he  died  of  throat  cancer  shortly  after  writing  his  personal  memoirs.  His   works  ultimately  made  $450,000  for  his  family.  Grant  is  currently  honored  on  the  fifty-­dollar  bill  of  the   United  States.             1.  Which  statement  about  Grant  is  supported  by  the  passage?   a)  He  finished  at  the  top  of  his  class  in  military  school.   b)  His  military  pursuits  prior  to  the  Civil  War  were  largely  successful.   c)  He  was  born  in  Connecticut.   d)  He  fought  in  the  Mexican  War.     2.  Which  best  describes  Grant’s  battle  strategies  when  leading?   a)  Meek   b)  Daring   c)  Spontaneous   d)  Ruthless     3.  Which  statement  is  false?   a)  Grant  became  President  of  the  United  States  three  years  after  the  end  of  the  Civil  War.   b)  His  personal  memoirs  raised  over  500,000  dollars  for  his  family.   c)  He  led  his  forces  to  victory  at  Fort  Donelson  at  age  40.   d)  He  was  less  than  60  years  old  when  he  died.     4.    Infer  why  Grant  was  nicknamed  “Unconditional  Surrender  Grant.”   a)  His  battle  strategies  produced  decisive  victories   b)  His  tactics  often  caused  the  Union  army  to  retreat   c)  He  was  extremely  valuable  to  Taylor  during  the  Mexican  War   d)  He  was  equally  successful  and  victorious  in  every  battle  he  led     5.  Prospectors  during  Grant’s  presidency  tried  to  “corner  the  market”  in  gold.  Infer  what  this   means.   a)  Establish  a  monopoly   b)  Buy  up  all  the  silver   c)  Overthrow  Grant’s  presidency   d)  Steal  from  jewelry  shops     6.  Which  statement  best  describes  Grant’s  presidency?   a)  Less  renowned  than  his  military  campaigns   b)  Riddled  with  corruption   c)  Both  of  the  above   d)  None  of  the  above     7.  Which  event  happened  last?   a)  Grant  receives  Lee’s  surrender.   b)  Grant  fights  in  the  Mexican  War.   c)  Grant’s  financial  firm  goes  bankrupt.   d)  Grant  leads  the  Union  to  victory  at  Fort  Henry.