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Archive 1Archive 2

GA Review 2

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Reviewer: Wandalstouring (talk) 08:05, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

First draft

You have lots of online sources that aren't properly cited and I have doubts they count as reliable sources. Some parts of the text still need cites. Please fix these issues or I have to quickfail the article. Wandalstouring (talk) 08:05, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

I am making the cites into Wikipedia format. I have used many book sources in the cites with direct links to the books so the reader can confirm the sources. Many of these authors are very reliable and trustworthy. {Cmguy777 (talk) 18:53, 18 January 2010 (UTC)}
And every online source needs a date of retrieval. Wandalstouring (talk) 19:39, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
I cleaned up the cites. However, what cites do you have issues with in terms of reliability? Thanks. {Cmguy777 (talk) 06:31, 19 January 2010 (UTC)}

Bios for sources:

Mary Louis Hindale has a PH.D. and wrote A history of the President's cabinet. She also wrote History and civil government of Ohio, and A legislative history of the public school system of Ohio. She was pioneer as a female historian during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Professor Jean Edward Smith wrote two biographies, FDR and Grant.

Professor William S. McFeely, emeritus, University of Georgia and Visiting Scholar in AfroAmerican Studies at Harvard University has written many historical books.

C. Vann Woodward is a preminate American historian and is considered to be one of the best. The core of this article centers around his work how the Industrial Revolution, the American expansion in the south west, and the Civil War contributed to much of the corruption during Grant's presidency in addition to Grant's own personal flaws. {Cmguy777 (talk) 19:35, 19 January 2010 (UTC)}

You seem to ignore that you actually don't cite these repuatble historians in any recognizeable way. If you really use them than your article is not probably cited, that's a quickfail criteria. Here is a list of the sources you claim to quote. Most of them don't apear to be peer reviewed scientific articles. Correct me or replace them.

  1. ^ "Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents". http://www.adherents.com/adh_presidents.html. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  2. ^ Kane, Joseph Nathan (1981). Facts About the Presidents. The H. W. Wilson Co., New York. p. 360.
  3. ^ DeGregorio, William A. (1989). "The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents". in Dembner Books, New York.
  4. ^ Hinsdale, Mary Louise (1911). A history of the President's cabinet. p. 212. http://books.google.com/books?id=uQYKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA212&dq=The+chief+cause+of+the+generally+unsettled+condition&cd=5#v=onepage&q=The%20chief%20cause%20of%20the%20generally%20unsettled%20condition&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  5. ^ Hinsdale, Mary Louise (1911). A history of the President's cabinet. pp. 211–212. http://books.google.com/books?id=uQYKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA212&dq=The+chief+cause+of+the+generally+unsettled+condition&cd=5#v=onepage&q=The%20chief%20cause%20of%20the%20generally%20unsettled%20condition&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  6. ^ Keirsey, David; Choiniere, Ray (1992). "Presidential Temperaments Ulysses S. Grant". http://www.keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=5&c=grant. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  7. ^ a b c C. Vann Woodward (April, 1957). "The Lowest Ebb". http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1957/3/1957_3_52.shtml. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  8. ^ a b c Smith, Jean Edward (2001). Grant. Simon & Shuster. pp. 481–490.
  9. ^ Bunting III, Josiah (2001). A. M. Schlesinger Junior. ed. Ulysses S. Grant. Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, LCC. pp. 96–98.
  10. ^ McFeely, William S. (2002). Grant: A Biography. pp. 328–329. http://books.google.com/books?id=cv5IbR5f9oMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Grant&source=gbs_similarbooks_s&cad=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  11. ^ E.G.D. (October 9th, 1893). "New York Times". http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9F03E6DE173EEF33A2575AC0A9669D94629ED7CF. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  12. ^ Morris, Charles R. (2005). The Tycoons. pp. 137–138. http://books.google.com/books?id=1g60MM3ogpAC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  13. ^ Mark O. Hatfield (1997). "Vice Presidents of the United States". pp. 233–239. http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/henry_wilson.pdf. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  14. ^ Ritchie, Donald A. (1991). Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents, Cambridge, MA. pp. 105–106.
  15. ^ The Encyclopedia Americana (1918). Crédit Mobilier of America. 8. J.B. Lyon Company Albany New York. p. 173. http://books.google.com/books?id=emUMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=Cr%C3%A9dit+Mobilier+of+America+formation&source=bl&ots=ojppfb6PwV&sig=ZC1TOPkBGG67lfzv5Ov8Tg4q72Y&hl=en&ei=FSMpS8flBp3gtAOp2K27DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Cr%C3%A9dit%20Mobilier%20of%20America%20formation&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  16. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. (2001). Nothing like it in the world: the men who built the transcontinental railroad 1863-1869. p. 93. http://books.google.com/books?id=TZp_GT7PscIC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=Train+Creates+Credit+Mobilier+of+America&source=bl&ots=qAmzODU4yW&sig=Rh3ZOtL12-VJjcQCK_pWM3jWo9g&hl=en&ei=1icpS8O2GIrQtAOmz-TADA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  17. ^ O'Brien, Frank Michael (1918). The story of the Sun: New York, 1833-1918. p. 307. http://books.google.com/books?id=IKEEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA308&dq=Safe+Burglary+Conspiracy#v=onepage&q=Safe%20Burglary%20Conspiracy&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  18. ^ Hinsdale, Mary Louise (1911). A history of the President's cabinet. pp. 212–213. http://books.google.com/books?id=uQYKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA213&dq=Sanborn+Scandal+Richardson#v=onepage&q=Sanborn%20Scandal%20Richardson&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  19. ^ a b Lawrence M. Salinger (2005). Encyclopedia of white-collar & corporate crime, Volume 2. 2. pp. 374–375. http://books.google.com/books?id=P41ij0GoFL4C&pg=PA374&lpg=PA374&dq=James+Watson+Webb+Scandal+in+Brazil&source=bl&ots=eQmMm_mjlj&sig=9Q9ruRQwgBYJSuNxUBzUZQDpmAU&hl=en&ei=seMyS6DDCInisQPEzIHOBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=James%20Watson%20Webb%20Scandal%20in%20Brazil&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  20. ^ Pierson, Arthur Tappan (1880). Zachariah Chandler: an outline sketch of his life and public services.
  21. ^ Smith, Prof. Jean Edward (2001). Grant. p. 584. http://books.google.com/books?id=Kq1wZ3900xYC&pg=PT584&dq=Attorney+General+Williams+Grant+Administration&lr=&cd=3#v=onepage&q=Attorney%20General%20Williams%20Grant%20Administration&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  22. ^ a b c Rick Shenkman (10-31-05). "The Last High White House Official Indicted While in Office: U.S. Grant's Orville Babcock". http://hnn.us/articles/17562.html. Retrieved 01-02-10.
  23. ^ a b c Timothy Rives (2000). "Grant, Babcock, and the Whiskey Ring". http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2000/fall/whiskey-ring-1.html. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  24. ^ McFeely, William S. (2002). Grant: A Biography. pp. 405–406. http://books.google.com/books?id=cv5IbR5f9oMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Grant&source=gbs_similarbooks_s&cad=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 01-19-10.
  25. ^ a b Stevens, Walter Barlow; Bixby, William Kenny (1916). Grant in Saint Louis. pp. 109–130. http://books.google.com/books?id=wA_VAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA109&dq=Grant+knew+about+Whiskey+Ring&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Grant%20knew%20about%20Whiskey%20Ring&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  26. ^ a b Bunting III, Josiah (2001). A. M. Schlesinger Junior. ed. Ulysses S. Grant. Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, LCC. pp. 136–138.
  27. ^ a b Rhodes, James Ford (1912). History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 to the Final Restoration of Home Rule at the South in 1877. p. 187. http://books.google.com/books?id=0cMTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA182&dq=Benjamin+Bristow#v=onepage&q=Benjamin%20Bristow&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  28. ^ a b Grossman (2003). Political corruption in America: an encyclopedia of scandals, power, and greed. http://books.google.com/books?id=DxupZ6O0p64C&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=Whiskey+Ring+Babcock&source=bl&ots=et0Fsrk1gF&sig=FXfxPJ6InjRWSCw0lCDJgU-LAXo&hl=en&ei=A8j0SpGXG4O2swOw4oC1CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Whiskey%20Ring%20Babcock&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  29. ^ a b c d Timothy Rives (2000). "Grant, Babcock, and the Whiskey Ring, Part 2". http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2000/fall/whiskey-ring-2.html. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  30. ^ politicalcorruption.net. "Whiskey Ring Scandal". http://www.politicalcorruption.net/2009/02/09/whiskey-ring-scandal/. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  31. ^ "Whiskey Ring Scandal". http://elections.harpweek.com/1876/Events-1876.htm. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  32. ^ a b Barnett, Louise (2006). Touched by fire: the life, death, and mythic afterlife of George Armstrong. pp. 256–257. http://books.google.com/books?id=cIMMvdUZw9QC&pg=PA257&dq=William+Belknap+Scandal&cd=3#v=onepage&q=William%20Belknap%20Scandal&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  33. ^ a b Jean Edward Smith, Grant, pgs 593-596, Simon & Shuster, 2001.
  34. ^ Josiah, Bunting III (2004). Arthur M. Schlesinger, Junior. ed. Ulysses S. Grant. Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, LCC. pp. 135–136.
  35. ^ Muench, James F. (2006). Five stars: Missouri's most famous generals. pp. 73–74. http://books.google.com/books?id=PKvpsMbH5goC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=Columbus+Delano+Grant+Scandal&source=bl&ots=gaZtmgfObe&sig=jbeEhdT1Bjr5MWEoqqdieVAXxOE&hl=en&ei=EPD0SuPKDMzi8AbP7eXzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CCMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Columbus%20Delano%20Grant%20Scandal&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  36. ^ a b Grant, Ulysses S.; Simon, John Y. (2005). The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. 27. http://books.google.com/books?id=nQstPeWppxsC&pg=PA53&dq=William+Belknap+and+Zachariah+Chandler+meet+Grant#v=onepage&q=William%20Belknap%20and%20Zachariah%20Chandler%20meet%20Grant&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  37. ^ Robert C. Kennedy date=2001. "George M. Robeson". http://www.dvrbs.com/people/CamdenPeople-GeorgeMRobeson.htm. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  38. ^ a b Swann, Leonard Alexander (1980). John Roach, maritime entrepreneur. http://books.google.com/books?id=ESZtbLg-T30C&pg=PA266&lpg=PA266&dq=Secor+claim+1872&source=bl&ots=d4Ed1-4HRy&sig=0VRpk33e24iVyGavH8BYGpyM3RA&hl=en&ei=9y8TS7DeLYfOsgPp5sDmAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Secor%20claim%201872&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  39. ^ New York Times (1878). "Failure of A.G. Cattell & Co.". http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9903E0D9113FE63BBC4951DFB4668383669FDE. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  40. ^ L. P. Brockett, M. D. (1872). "George Maxwell Robeson Secretary of the Navy". http://www.dvrbs.com/people/CamdenPeople-GeorgeMRobeson.htm. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  41. ^ Grant, Ulysses S.; Simon, John Y. (2005). The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. 27. pp. 63,64. http://books.google.com/books?id=nQstPeWppxsC&pg=PA53&dq=William+Belknap+and+Zachariah+Chandler+meet+Grant#v=onepage&q=William%20Belknap%20and%20Zachariah%20Chandler%20meet%20Grant&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  42. ^ "George M. Robeson". http://www.dvrbs.com/people/CamdenPeople-GeorgeMRobeson.htm. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  43. ^ O'Brien, Frank Michael (1918). The Story of the Sun: New York, 1833-1918. pp. 308–309. http://books.google.com/books?id=IKEEAAAAYAAJ&dq=Safe+Burglary+Conspiracy&source=gbs_navlinks_s. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  44. ^ a b Slap, Andrew L. (2006). The doom of Reconstruction: the liberal Republicans in the Civil War era. pp. 1–25. http://books.google.com/books?id=35pFSQ3mmzkC&pg=PA1&dq=Liberal+Republican+Party+Formation&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Liberal%20Republican%20Party%20Formation&f=false. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  45. ^ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present". http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  46. ^ "Party Divisions of the House of Representatives (1879 to Present)". http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/partyDiv.html. Retrieved 01-18-10.
  47. ^ Miller Center of Public Affairs University of Virginia. "Ulysses S. Grant". http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/grant/essays/biography/print. Retrieved 12-22-09.
  48. ^ "A Hero Betrayed: The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant". http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-9-2-c.html. Retrieved 12-09-09.

I have no idea to what use you put these online resources an what makes them reliable? If this is a list of external links name it so or if these are sources footnote them in the text. 

       * [1] Ulysses S. Grant - White House
       * [2] Ulysses S. Grant - Miller Center
       * [3] Top 10 Presidential Scandals
       * [4] The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant - Frank Scaturro
       * [5] Learn About the Gilded Age

I would appreciate if this article was based on the scientists's works, but currenty there's no way recognizing you have used any book. To cite a book properly you need footnotes with page numbers. You may use an abbreviation of the name and title and give full credentials in bibliography section. See Late Roman army for comparison. Wandalstouring (talk) 09:07, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

First of all History is not a science, although science can be involved. I have a B.A. Degree in History, not a "B.S." Historians do not need to have a scientific degree to have valid historical sources. Secondly, these sources have been footnoted. Just click the link and it takes you to the book source. Thirdly, you have reviewed the sources but not the article itself. If you could give me input into the Article I would appreciate. Respectfully. {Cmguy777 (talk) 00:10, 4 February 2010 (UTC)}
I am making a list of sources. I do not know what peer review is. This is a historical article, not scientific. No Archeology, Chemistry, or Biology is involved. Many of the sources have PH.D.'s. Can you explain what peer review is? {Cmguy777 (talk) 04:09, 4 February 2010 (UTC)}

Author credentials

  • Jean Edward Smith has a PH.D. and is a graduate of Princeton University and Columbia University. [3] Bio
  • Richard Shenkman is an Emmy Award-winning investigator reporter. [7] Bio

Notes have page numbers

All the notes or footnotes in the article from the books have page numbers. I have made changes to the article separating the book sources from the journal sources. {Cmguy777 (talk) 04:14, 5 February 2010 (UTC)}

Picking up review

OK, it looks as if Wandalstouring has disappeared, so I am picking up this review. Jezhotwells (talk) 10:26, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

First thoughts

  • The article is mostly well written, but there are some important notes which i will come to in a minute.
  • The referencing is still inconsistent as commented on above - and there are three dead links.
  • Images have correct licences, but I have doubts on whether they are all neccessary.
  • Article is stable, no edit warring

I shall be reviewing this article against the Good Article criteria, following its nomination for Good Article status.

Checking against GA criteria

GA review (see here for criteria)
  1. It is reasonably well written.
    a (prose): b (MoS):
    Bristow's investigation results, turn into ptrose, lists are not suitable according to MoS.  Fixed  Done
    I find a number of apparent opinions and uncited statements throughout. I have tagged as necessary.  Fixed
    Response : I have deleted any "opinions" and "uncited statements" from the articles. These were not meant to be opinions or uncited statements, but rather to add aesthetic value to the article. I am also attempting to get rid of "improper synthesis" in the article.
    Just three more cites needed, see below
    Update : I have gotten rid of the "improper synthesis".  Done
    I made some minor copy-edits
    The lead does not fully summarize the article.  Fixed  Done
  2. It is factually accurate and verifiable.
    a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR):
    Three dead links have been tagged  Fixed  Done
    ref #3 [9], lacks publisher details. This is apparently a reproduction excerpted from Presidential Temperaments, by David Keirsey and Ray Choiniere. We have no way of knowing whether or not this is an accurate reproduction, whether it has been abridged in any way so this is not RS  Done, stupidly, I had not noticed that this is the author's website, sorry.
    ref #22 [10] is a book review, not the book, fails verification  Done
    Ambrose, Stephen E. (2001). Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869 needs ISBN  Fixed  Done
    Hatfield, Mark O.; Ritchie, Donald A. (2001). Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789- 1993. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office. needs ISBN  Fixed  Done
    Salinger, Lawrence M. (2005). Encyclopedia of White-collar & Corporate Crime. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. needs ISBN  Fixed {[done}}
    Why do some author names have PhD in them? This is not standard practice, atre you trying to impress someone. take them out. A couple left  Done
    The books at Google books mostly lack publisher details and isbns, format should eb something like "The story of the Sun: New York, 1833-1918", archived at Google Books, to make it clear that the link is to the source.
    Newspaper sources, Online sources - are these use in the article as citations? If not they may be External links or should be cut altogether.
    Answer : The newspaper sources are used as citations. They are valuable sources of information during the 19th century. The newspaper articles on the safe burglary conspiracy gives allot of detail into the actual case.
    Right, I get it. What we have here is inconsistent citing. If you want the article or book to be cited in this way that is fine, but what you need to do is be consistent and format in the way the Hinsley cite is done. The inline cite should give Author, publication date and page number (or date for a newspaper) - the publication details are then listed in the sources. What you have at the moment is a mixture of two styles which is very confusing. I have made the citing consistent.  Done
    I have tagged dubious statements, dead links, and citations needed. Sometimes it is just the concluding sentence of a paragraph that needs a cite. Perhaps in some cases the cite halfway through the paragraph could be moved to the end. - how about these:
    It was also later revealed by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish to Grant in 1876 that Orville E. Babcock, another private secretary to the President, was also involved in gold speculations in 1869. needs citing.
    Grant's other private secretary Horace Porter was also involved in the Whiskey Ring according to Solicitor General Blueford Wilson. needs citing.
    After this trial Grant distanced himself from Babcock even more by making him Light House Inspector in Florida. needs citing.  Done
    Response : I have removed the "dead links". The Smith citation for Pratt & Boyd says Mrs. Williams is rumored to have taken a $30,000 gift not to prosecute Pratt & Boyd. I changed the wording and put allegedly took the gift. {Cmguy777 (talk) 03:26, 12 March 2010 (UTC)}
  3. It is broad in its coverage.
    a (major aspects): b (focused):
  4. It follows the neutral point of view policy.
    Fair representation without bias:
    Response : I have attempted to make this article as fair as possible. The details are meant to give what really occured during Grant's presidency. One theory claims Grant was completely corrupt and incompetent. The other theory makes Grant an avid reformer and claims political rivals were only trying to damage the reputation of the President. This article does not attempt to do either. Just present the facts and let the reader decide any opinions on Grant or the people involved with the scandals. I have used the New York Times to fill in the historical gaps in information and detail. Many books just gloss over the scandals, many times, dismissing them and not giving complete information. This article puts all the scandals in chronological context and attempts to give a further understanding into the Grant Administration using valid sources. The reality is that there were scandals, and there may have been more that go beyond the scope of this article. {Cmguy777 (talk) 03:39, 12 March 2010 (UTC)}  Done
  5. It is stable.
    No edit wars, etc.:
  6. It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate.
    a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
    There are rather a lot of images, I am not sure that anything is gained by a series of pictures of stout bewhiskered 19th century men.  Fixed
    :What encyclopaedic value does File:Union Pacific Logo.svg have, or File:City of St. Louis.jpg, or File:Fort Sill;infantrybarracks.jpg?  Fixed  Done
  7. Overall:
    Pass/Fail:
    OK, this has been under review for two months. On hold for seven days. I will take another look then and make a decision on listing or not listing. Jezhotwells (talk) 11:45, 11 March 2010 (UTC)
    Good, a lot of progress has been made. We just need consistent citing and three citation needed tags need addressing. –– Jezhotwells (talk) 21:09, 12 March 2010 (UTC)
    OK, having sorted out the citing, I am am happy to pass this as a Good Article. Things that could be done:
    1. Take it to peer review to see what needs to be done to make this a featured article.
    2. Consider using linking the notes to the cited works. Click on that link to look at this, it is a bit fiddly but will make it easier for readers to find the referred work. Good luck and thanks for your work in improving this article. –– Jezhotwells (talk) 17:46, 13 March 2010 (UTC)

Finishing article review

Thanks Jezhotwells for all the editing and improvements you have done to the article. I am finally getting how to cite sources properly. I will look into the peer review for featured article. How does the peer review process work? Thanks for passing the article to GA status. Are you able to change the article to the GA status? {Cmguy777 (talk) 17:55, 13 March 2010 (UTC)}

Yes. You passed the Article as GA. Your suggestions have vastly improved the article. {Cmguy777 (talk) 17:59, 13 March 2010 (UTC)}

Postal Star Scandal

Postmaster John Creswell was associtated with a postal route contracting scandal that involved exorbitant fees and and excessive increase in the amount of postal routes. I am considering adding this as another scandal. The total scandals would then be 12. Cmguy777 (talk) 16:55, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

POV and unsourced material

Removed from the article. The information is POV and not sourced. This information is not necessarily false. Cmguy777 (talk) 19:12, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

This article offers the contemporary opinions of the political opponents of the 14th Amendment and Reconstruction as if they were the careful examinations of a dispassionate audit committee. President Grant was relentlessly attacked by Democrats and other "reformers" (sic) who were literally appalled at Grant's belief that the Federal government had an obligation to defend the Constitutional rights of black-skinned Americans to vote and own firearms and property. Grant was hardly an unsophisticated man about money and accounting. His "humble" family were capitalists who built a chain of stores that sold saddles, harnesses and tack (they were for the 19th century what auto parts stores are for this one). Grant was the first President to require the government to keep its own books using double entry accounting. As even the author of this article concedes, the Grant Administration's own audits of the government's accounts provided all the financial information that brought to light the "scandals" outlined below. Read with great caution.
The above statement may have elements of the truth, however, there needs to be some source to back up these statements. I personally agree Grant's Democratic critics were racially motivated to discredit the President's Reconstruction policy protecting African American rights. However, there needs to be a documented source for this statement. This is not a main article on Grant's political opponents, but rather, the scandals themselves. The scandals have been thoroughly researched and documented. There were dishonest men and women during the Guilded Age in an unregulated pursuit of wealth. During this time riches were highly desired and financial morals were very low after the American Civil War. Historian Woodward aptly points this out. Grant did not cause the scandals, however, he at times ineffectively as Executor of the United States could not keep control of his associates and cabinet appointees and was reluctant to have them prosecuted. Righteous indignation or self-righteousness in terms of other people's financial indiscretions or illegal activities were not in Grant's character. Cmguy777 (talk) 19:26, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Grant Cabinet editors needed

I have been attempting to expand the articles of Grant's cabinet appointments. I believe this will help in understanding President Grant's two terms in office. Included examples are Hamilton Fish, William W. Belknap, and George S. Boutwell. Grant had a revolving door cabinet so any help from other editors is needed and appreciated. Thanks. Cmguy777 (talk) 22:31, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Here are Grant Cabinet members that need editing. Cmguy777 (talk) 22:31, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

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Causes section moved

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Cmguy777 (talk • contribs) 03:57, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Causes of national corruption

The Hopkin Mansion, 1875–1906, formerly located on Nob Hill in San Francisco, California, represented the enormous wealth generated during the American industrial revolution.

The scandals in the Grant Administration were indicative of greater national moral decline. According to one respected historian, C. Vann Woodward, there are three primary forces that caused national corruption during this time period. The most compelling event that lead to corruption was the Civil War itself, unleashing a torrent of human depravity, deaths and unscrupulously gained riches enabled by persons who rose from deserved obscurity to powerful military and civilian positions. These men—the claim agents, speculators, subsidy-seekers, government contractors, and the all-purpose crooks—were born from the war and entered politics after the fighting stopped. The second generator of corruption was the opening of the West and South to unrestrained exploitation that caused older parts of the country to fall into moral confusion. The third cause, according to Vann Woodward, was the rapid rise of American industrialism, which loosened the nation's standards and values. Americans found themselves released from discipline and restraint by the rapid growth of industrial wealth after the Civil War.[1] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cmguy777 (talk • contribs) 03:57, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference C. Vann Woodward was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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