If no one has brought it up yet: Ulysses. S. Grant. Man had some seriously sexy attitudes for the mid 1800s; he thought the Mexican American War was an unjust invasion and land grab, thought the policies against Native Americans were “shameful” (had a Seneca man write the terms of surrender for the Confederacy by extension), loved his wife so much he became an alcoholic when he was away from her, told her not to change a thing about herself when she was considering having surgery to correct her lazy eye, brought the feds in to investigate the KKK, freed the only slave he was ever given when he was deep in poverty instead of selling him, was so trusting he got caught up in scandal because he believed in the people around him-
Sorry this man is slept on so badly and he was so sweet and beautiful. He’s been buried by the Lost Cause southern narrative and has some seriously progressive views for his time period. I love him very dearly.
