TIL that Ulysses S. Grant created the Department of Justice, ratified the Fifteenth Amendment and asked for Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1871, enabling him to combat and prosecute the Ku Klux Klan.

Fun fact: he actually changed his name FROM that.

His family was pretty big but it was hard for them to get by financially when he was starting out. They were convinced it had a gruesome ring to it though for someone with prospects of stardom so he sought out to do something about it.

He came into the cash he needed and sold his folks' land after a freak fire accident though. Only survivor. Happened on some on special day like a birthday or something.

Still, he applied for a name change at the time and paused as he about write down a whole new identity, a whole life. The clerk asks him, "Sir, your name? Mr. Killer?" He looked up at her, casual as the sky is blue, and out slipped a laugh of relief. "Almost thought I had t' kill more." Too quick to catch, too out of order to believe. She begged his pardon. He didn't say another word, scribbled his name as legibly he felt necessary, and left. The clerk thought it best not to attract the attention of someone so strange and tried to accomodate. Mr. Killer was gone, literally and in the system. However, she filled out his name with a purposeful typo but not out of malice. The receipt was forwarded to his listed address. He was short with pay and received a bill for $3.50 via mail.

/r/todayilearned Thread Parent Link - en.wikipedia.org