Presidentsâ Day marks the birthday of the first president of the United States, hero of the Revolutionary War and founding father, General George Washington. This Presidentsâ Day, I encourage all of us to remember those commanders-in-chief who made extraordinary contributions to these United States, even if some have become neglected by our collective historical memory. A war hero in the mold of Washington, Americaâs 18th president came to national fame for leading the Union Army to victory against the Confederacy during the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant would make his mark on the presidency as well, presiding over Reconstruction, a period our country began the long process of reconciling with the evils of slavery and the trauma of the Civil War. Grant was resolute in ensuring the rights of newly freed slaves were protected; his administration established the Department of Justice and used the Force Acts to aggressively prosecute members of the Klu Klux Klan and safeguard the rights of African Americans.