Jesse Root Grant

Jesse Root Grant (January 23, 1794 – June 29, 1873) was an American individual primarily engaged in farming, tanning, and leather manufacturing. Throughout his adult life, he owned and operated tanneries and leather goods businesses in multiple states in the United States. He was the father of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, and played a role in introducing Ulysses to military education at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Jesse Root Grant was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and was one of seven children in his family. His paternal ancestors originated from Plymouth, England, emigrating aboard the ship Mary and John in 1630 as part of a Puritan migration to escape religious persecution. The family settled initially in Massachusetts and later moved to Windsor, Connecticut. Jesse’s grandfather, Noah Grant, served in the French and Indian War, and his father, also named Noah Grant, served as a captain during the American Revolution, including participation in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In 1799, when Jesse was five years old, his family relocated to East Liverpool, Ohio, and in 1804, to Deerfield, Ohio. His mother, Rachael Kelly, died in 1805 when Jesse was eleven years old. His father, unable to support all his children, apprenticed Jesse to various families for work in farms and tanneries beginning in 1805. From ages 11 to 14, Jesse worked at undesignated farms and learned tanning trades through apprenticeships, which contributed to his self-education in reading, writing, and business matters.

In 1808, at the age of 14, Jesse was apprenticed to Judge George Tod of Youngstown, Ohio, where he improved his literacy and developed an interest in politics. His father died a year later, in 1809, leaving Jesse an orphan. By 1812, Jesse moved to Maysville, Kentucky, to work for his half-brother Peter at a tannery, where he learned the leather trade. He returned to Ohio in 1815, establishing his own tannery in Deerfield with limited capital.

Jesse Grant married Hannah Simpson on June 24, 1821, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. The marriage produced six children, including their oldest son, Ulysses S. Grant, born on April 27, 1822. The family lived in various locations, including Point Pleasant and Bethel, Ohio, with Jesse working in tanneries and growing his business enterprises.

In the early 1820s, Jesse managed to save approximately $1,100, which he used to establish his own tannery. His work often involved shipping leather products to merchants in nearby towns, and he maintained a reputation as a skilled tradesman. Throughout his life, Jesse was involved in local politics; he served as mayor of both Georgetown and Bethel in Ohio.

Jesse Grant demonstrated strong abolitionist sympathies, having interacted with notable figures such as Owen Brown, the father of John Brown. He also knew John Brown personally, describing him as morally upright but fanatic in his advocacy for abolition. Jesse’s political views shifted from Jacksonian Democratic roots toward anti-slavery positions over time. During the Civil War, Jesse and his business partners engaged in cotton speculation, and he assisted his son Ulysses in securing early access to occupied territories for military purposes.

Later in life, Jesse lived in Covington, Kentucky, until his death in 1873. He was often known for speaking about his son Ulysses and was a frequent visitor to the White House following Ulysses S. Grant's presidency.

Jesse Root Grant's background includes notable ancestors from colonial America, with family origins dating back to early English settlers and veterans of significant wartime conflicts. His early life was marked by hardship and limited formal education, but he became a self-made businessman with a focus on industry and community involvement.