Julia Boggs Dent was born on January 26, 1826, at White Haven plantation west of St. Louis, Missouri.

[2] Frederick enslaved about 30 Africans, whom he freed only when compelled by law, having previously resisted moral arguments against slavery.

[3] In her memoirs, Grant described her childhood as "one long summer of sunshine, flowers, and smiles…"[6] Around 1831–1836, Julia attended the Gravois School, a co-educational one-room schoolhouse in St.

[3] The Dent family was highly social, with visitors coming from among the elite class of Cincinnati, Louisville, and Pittsburgh.

[3] In April of that year, Ulysses asked Julia to wear his class ring as a sign of their exclusive affection.

[3] Distraught at their separation, Julia had an intense dream, which she detailed to several people, that Ulysses would somehow return within days, wearing civilian clothes and state his intention of staying for a week.

[6] She hosted parties frequently, including gathering Union Army Officers and orchestrating elaborate and lavish dinners for politicians and guests.

She was the originator of the State Dinner at the White House, which honored King Kalākaua of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

[10] During her husband's first term in office, Grant redecorated the family living quarters into a Renaissance Revival style, with money appropriated from Congress for the renovations.

[11] Grant sought to bring prestige to the position of First Lady and improve the stature of the wives of other government officials, including the cabinet, the Congress, and the Supreme Court.

She had ended her own chronicle of their years together with a firm declaration: "the light of his glorious fame still reaches out to me, falls upon me, and warms me.