Ulysses S Grant; Statesmanship/Leadership during Black Friday Challenge

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Introduction
There are many instances that the President of the United States of America faces various crises that challenge his capabilities and competency during the term that he is given. Facing and giving solutions to the primary challenges of the country is already an expected responsibility of the president. It is already a demanding occupation to be the president of the United States of America during the normal terms without crisis such as wars and natural disasters. At least one disruptive event, the term of the president as an officer in charge becomes even more difficult testing the statesmanship of the president especially during troubling times in the country. This was what occurred during the term of former president Ulysses S. Grant during his term as the president. In this paper, the Black Friday crisis during Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency as well as how he had led the nation during this disastrous time will be discussed.
From the Army to the White House
Ulysses S. Grant served the country as the president for eight years from March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877. Before being elected as the president of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant was in the army and participated during the Mexican-American War, Indian Wars of the West, and the American Civil War. He became famous for defeating Robert E. Lee and the confederate states that ended the American Civil War in the year 1865. In 1868, during the nomination for the presidential position, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted by the Republicans, which led to his victory over the Democratic candidate in the election.[Haugen, Brenda. Ulysses S. Grant: Union General and US President. Capstone, 2005.]
The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant followed the end of the Civil War, as well as the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln which left the nation in great despair because of the loss of a great leader. The nation further felt the impact of these when the successor of President Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson took the position proving himself to be incapable of taking charge and running the administration leading to his impeachment. These events put high hopes of the nation on the newly elected president, Ulysses S. Grant especially on the reconstruction of the nation after the war and its destructive effects. The Republicans shared the same beliefs as Ulysses S. Grant with regards to protecting the civil rights of the people including those who were freed from slavery, and the reconstruction of the nation with a united and reconciled north and south states.[Haugen, Brenda, 2005.]
Black Friday Crisis
The infamous Black Friday Crisis in 1869 is the first financial crisis during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. This has led to the damage to his reputation as well as the decrease in the confidence of the nation. It has caused a massive panic in the financial and economic aspects of the country. The crisis was caused by the manipulation of Jay Gould and James Fisk to take hold of the majority of gold in the market so that they would be able to dictate the price of it, and this was seen as an instant money-making scheme. But this was at the expense of the econom...