Grant Campaign Ribbon, 1868

In the 1868 and 1872 presidential elections, Ulysses S. Grant was viewed as a promising politician who could calm the agitated, post-war nation. In addition to his successful generalship in the conflict, Grant campaigned as a cool-headed presence, running on the slogan “Let Us Have Peace.” He was able to unite a vast coalition of northern Republicans, formerly enslaved persons in the south, and young voters hoping to move on from the ugly politics of the era, and defeat Horatio Seymour in the 1868 campaign. Ultimately, however, he was seen as a naive politician who allowed enormous corruption and scandal to overtake his administrations