Julia Dent Grant, wife of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and Union Civil War hero, set herself apart from previous First Ladies by not only embracing the media coverage of the White House, but also utilizing it to promote the prestige of the First Family.
Vote Now: Who Was the Greatest American President?
Julia was born in 1826 as the fifth of seven children to a slave-owning family in St. Louis, Missouri. When her older brother introduced her to Ulysses, his friend and roommate at West Point, the two quickly fell in love.
Due to Ulysses’ service in the Mexican-American War, the two waited four years before finally marrying in 1848 and having four children.
After undergoing financially trying times while attempting to farm, Ulysses reentered the military in 1861 to serve in the Union army before ultimately becoming the Lieutenant General with command over all Union Armies.
During the war, Julia visited him as often as she could, sometimes staying with him for months at a time – which was largely unprecedented and frowned upon at the time.
But her presence was a huge support to her husband, and she helped to stabilize him and keep him away from alcohol,
according to a biography of her on PBS show The American Experience.
Urgent: Who Is the Greatest American President in History?
Julia also managed to maintain a cordial relationship with her slave-holding Confederate father, despite her own husband’s prominent position in the Union Army.
Following the end of the war, President Lincoln’s assassination, and the brief presidency of Andrew Johnson, Ulysses won the presidency in 1869 while riding on his fame as a war hero.
Julia shone in her role as First Lady and actively participated in presidential matters and in advising her husband.
She brought prestige to the role of First Lady helped as she morphed it into a combination of social hostess and political partner,
according to the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
By the time she left the White House after Ulysses’ two terms, the nation had become accustomed to knowing much of the inner-workings of the First Family.
Julia released what was most likely the first press release that came directly from a First Lady and granted full access to the press for coverage of White House public and social events, as well as many interviews,
according to the National First Ladies’ Library.
She also refurnished much of the White House to reflect what became known as the epitome of the Gilded Age style.
Vote Here: Which US President Would Be Considered the Greatest in History?
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.