“In truth, Grant was instrumental in helping the Union vanquish the Confederacy and in realizing the wartime ideals enshrined in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.”

If Ron Chernow’s biography of Grant has a thesis, it is that Grant is not just an important figure of The American Civil War. Chernow asserts that Grant was also an important and successful figure of Reconstruction as president as well. He fought not only for unity but for civil rights for all.

“It seems crystal-clear that Ulysses S. Grant modeled himself after his mutely subdued mother, avoiding his father’s bombast and internalizing her humility and self-control.”

In discussing Grant’s childhood, Chernow tries to trace many of Grant’s qualities and patterns in life to his early experiences. Among these is the influence his mother had on him, including Grant’s reserve and his harmful level of trust in individuals.

“The battle taught Grant indelible lessons about military leadership: the need for supreme audacity and the vital importance of speed, momentum, and the element of surprise.”

Chernow credits Grant with having a “grand strategy” (143) for defeating the Confederacy. This approach to tactics overall relied on Grant being able to move his army quickly.