Julia Grant - She stood by her man.

Julia was born in Missouri in 1826 and was quoted in her memoir as saying her childhood was 'sunshine and flowers.' That said, let's skip to adulthood, shall we?

Julia and Ulysses Grant met while he was at West Point and fell hopelessly in love. It took them a hot second to make their love legal, but once they were married, Julia realized she did not like being away from her husband. 

The Grant family moved due to Army relocation (now this we can relate to) quite a few times, and once Ulysses was promoted to General, Julia left her children to be by his side. She kept an eye on his drinking, and since he was smitten with her, his spirits were brighter with Julia near. 

Mrs. Grant traveled over 10,000 miles with her husband. 

With the north's victory, General Grant was elected president and Julia was jazzed to be in the White House. Mrs. Grant was ahead of her time in many ways, as a supporter of women's rights - and openly told off anyone who suggested women were inferior to men. She loved entertaining and hosted an afternoon Tuesday Tea to the general public. 

Once their civil service had come to an end, the Grants traveled the world and settled in New York City. After Ulysses passed away, Julia moved to Washington DC to act as a trusted adviser and friend to the next "First Ladies," and wrote a memoir before she died in 1902.

Fun Fact: Mrs. Grant preferred posing profile in photographs due to a medical condition called 'strabismus' (crossed eyes). At one point, she considered corrective surgery, but her husband discouraged it, telling Julia that he had fallen in love with her crossed eyes and didn't think they needed to be changed. 

The Signature Grant from R.Riveter on Vimeo.

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