In 1875, Grant wrote a public letter formally renouncing any interest in a third term and played virtually no role in the election of 1876 until that December, when the electoral votes arrived in Washington, D.C. Because the election was so close, the outcomes in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida -- which had each sent in sets of Democratic as well as Republican votes -- would decide the next President. Congress negotiated a compromise, creating a commission that would rule on which votes to count. Eventually, the commission ruled in favor of Republican candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, who became the nineteenth U.S. President.

During the resolution of the disputed election, Grant played an important role as the steady leader of the country. As President, he worked to make sure that the election was decided in a legitimate way, remaining more concerned with the fairness of the election than with a Republican victory. His calm presence in the White House reassured the country during a volatile period and helped ensure the orderly transfer of power.

After Grant stepped down as President, he and Julia took a two-year journey around the world. He had a life-long interest in travel and was now finally able to indulge his passion. The couple traveled to many different countries, mingled with political leaders and royalty, and saw the sights in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Returning to the United States, Grant was still extremely popular throughout the country, and he wanted to reclaim the Republican nomination for President for the 1880 election. Yet he underestimated the anti-Grant forces within his own party. Eventually, James A. Garfield defeated the popular war-hero for the Republican nomination.

Grant was then struck by financial disaster. He had invested most of his assets with the firm of Grant and Ward, a partnership headed by his son. However, his son’s partner was involved in a scam that lost all the company’s money. The former President was now broke and had to rely on the kindness of friends to keep him afloat.

As a way to generate some income, Grant accepted an offer from Century Magazine to write articles about his experiences in the Civil War. He soon discovered that he enjoyed writing and the money it provided, and he decided to write his memoirs. Although Century Magazine offered to publish the book, Mark Twain advised Grant to turn down the proposal. Instead, Twain made Grant an offer through his own publishing company.

In the meantime, Grant discovered that he was dying of throat cancer. Decades of smoking had finally caught up with him. Unexcitable and determined as ever, Grant approached this last battle as he had all his others -- with grim, dogged determination. His greatest concern was that he had no inheritance or other future financial provisions for his family. He hoped his memoirs could provide for them, and the task of writing consumed him, for he knew his time was short. Grant wrote honestly, admitting his mistakes and sticking to the facts in a straightforward, engaging style. In its later stages, the cancer robbed Grant of his voice, making dictation impossible. His last days were spent on his porch with pencil and paper, wrapped in blankets and in fearsome pain, slowly scrawling out his life’s epic tale.

He completed the book just days before his death on July 23, 1885. Its huge success took care of his family financially for the rest of their lives. Grant’s last campaign was a victorious one.