Julia Grant

Julia Boggs Grant (née Dent) was born on January 26, 1826, at White Haven plantation located west of St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents were Frederick Dent (1787–1873), a planter and merchant, and Ellen Wrenshall Dent. The Dent family was of English descent; her mother was born in England. Julia was the fifth of eight children. Her family maintained a social standing within the regional elite, with friends including William Clark of Lewis and Clark and politician Alexander McNair.

Julia Dent received education at the Gravois School, a co-educational one-room schoolhouse in St. Louis, between approximately 1831 and 1836. From age 10 to 17, she attended the Mauro Academy for Young Ladies in St. Louis, where she was a boarding student. Her family was highly social, with visitors from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. As a young woman, Julia was skilled at playing the piano, riding horses, and reading novels.

Julia Dent was born with strabismus, known as crossed eyes. She declined surgery to correct this condition, which resulted in her often posing in profile for portraits.

In 1844, while a student at West Point, Ulysses S. Grant, then a classmate, expressed admiration for her through correspondence. Grant visited her family that year, and their relationship developed despite initial parental reservations. Ulysses S. Grant proposed to Julia in April 1844, with her initially hesitant to accept. Following Grant's service in the Mexican–American War, their engagement was confirmed, and they married in 1848. Grant was subsequently posted to various locations, including Panama and Vancouver Barracks, while Julia did not accompany him during his military service.

Ulysses and Julia Grant had four children: Frederick Dent Grant (1850–1912), a soldier and public official; Ulysses Simpson Grant Jr., known as "Buck" (1852–1929), a lawyer; Ellen Wrenshall Grant ("Nellie") (1855–1922), a homemaker; and Jesse Root Grant (1858–1934), an engineer. The family was based in Galena, Illinois, during the early 1860s.

During the American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant rejoined the Union Army, and Julia often traveled to be near him during certain periods of the conflict. The couple maintained correspondence, though Julia's own letters to Grant have not survived or are not publicly known.

Julia Grant served as First Lady of the United States from 1869 to 1877, during Ulysses S. Grant's two presidential terms. She hosted numerous social events, including dinners for government officials and military officers. She is credited with originating the tradition of the White House State Dinner, notably hosting a dinner honoring King Kalākaua of Hawai'i. Grant preferred to have her family reside in their own Washington home during her husband's presidency but eventually followed standard protocol.

During her tenure as First Lady, Julia Grant was the first presidential wife to receive widespread national attention, and her children gained some media prominence. She oversaw extensive renovations of the White House, including a Renaissance Revival style redecoration funded by congressional appropriations, particularly focusing on the East Room for her daughter Nellie’s wedding. She aimed to enhance the prestige of her position and sought to elevate the status of the wives of government officials.

Although she did not publicly endorse women's suffrage, she refused to sign an anti-suffrage petition. Julia Grant was also the first First Lady to be recorded on film.

After her husband's presidency, Julia Grant authored her memoirs, titled *The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant*, but faced difficulty in securing a publisher. The memoirs were eventually published in 1975, long after her death. She died in Washington, D.C., on December 14, 1902, at age 76. She was interred in a sarcophagus beside her husband at Grant's Tomb in New York City, which she had attended the dedication of in 1897.

Throughout her time in Washington, Julia Grant maintained relationships with other First Ladies and acted in a prominent societal role, often serving as a "Queen Mother" figure. Her friendships included First Ladies Frances Cleveland, Caroline Harrison, Ida Saxton McKinley, and Edith Roosevelt.