H. Res. 301 is a nonbinding House resolution that honors Ulysses S.
Grant on his 203rd birthday, recalls his military and presidential career, and recognizes Land of US Grant, Inc., for preserving Grant-related historic sites in Georgetown, Ohio. The text cites Grant’s birth in Point Pleasant (April 27, 1822), his West Point education, major Civil War battles he commanded, his 1869 inauguration as the 18th President, and his role in Reconstruction-era civil rights measures.
Practically, the resolution is ceremonial: it creates no legal obligations, authorizations, or funding. Its relevance is symbolic — for local preservation groups, historical educators, and members of Congress seeking to signal respect for Grant’s military leadership and civil‑rights legacy — and it was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services for consideration upon introduction.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill adopts an honorific resolution commemorating Ulysses S. Grant and recognizing Land of US Grant, Inc., listing biographical milestones and military engagements and affirming his role in civil‑rights and Reconstruction efforts. It contains 'whereas' findings and two short 'resolved' clauses but does not direct action, appropriate funds, or change law.
Who It Affects
Directly affected parties are Honorific: the House of Representatives (procedural action), Land of US Grant, Inc., and local stakeholders in Georgetown, Ohio. Indirectly, historians, educators, and civic organizations that promote Civil War memory or preservation may use the resolution as a point of recognition.
Why It Matters
For professionals, this resolution matters as a public record of congressional commemoration—useful for grant applicants, cultural organizations, and district communications — and as an example of how Congress frames historical figures (which can shape public memory) even when no policy or funding changes follow.
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What This Bill Actually Does
H. Res. 301 is a short, ceremonial House resolution that walks through Ulysses S.
Grant’s biography and then issues two formal recognitions. The text’s 'whereas' clauses note his April 27, 1822 birth in Point Pleasant, childhood in Georgetown, West Point attendance, service in the Mexican‑American War, command of several major Civil War battles, appointment as Lieutenant General after 1864, inauguration as the 18th President in 1869, and involvement with Reconstruction measures such as the Department of Justice and the 15th Amendment.
The resolution also calls out the Land of US Grant, Inc., for preserving his boyhood home, schoolhouse, tannery, statue, and murals.
The operative portion contains two short resolved clauses. The first 'honors' Grant and the Land of US Grant, Inc., for contributions to Ohio and the Second Congressional District; the second affirms Grant’s pivotal role in achieving Union victory and characterizes him as a trailblazer on civil‑rights and Reconstruction issues.
There are no directives to federal agencies, no appropriation language, and no creation of new programs or legal standards.Procedurally, the resolution was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Because it is an honorific resolution, its primary effects are symbolic and informational: it creates a congressional statement that district offices, local historical groups, and media can cite, but it imposes no compliance obligations and does not change policy or funding.
The resolution’s explicit naming of local preservation activities is effectively a congressional endorsement that may be leveraged in local promotion or fundraising, but it carries no financial commitment from the federal government.
The Five Things You Need to Know
H. Res. 301 is an honorific House resolution (nonbinding) that makes formal 'whereas' findings and two short 'resolved' statements—no funds or legal authorities are created.
The text records Grant’s birth date (April 27, 1822), West Point attendance, Mexican‑American War service, and command of named Civil War battles including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and Appomattox.
The resolution cites Grant’s appointment as the first post‑reestablishment Lieutenant General (after 1864) and his inauguration as the 18th President on March 4, 1869.
It explicitly recognizes Grant’s role in Reconstruction and civil‑rights actions, name‑checking the Department of Justice and the adoption of the 15th Amendment.
Upon introduction, the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services for consideration.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Biographical and historical findings
This opening block compiles factual assertions the House cites as the basis for the honor: birthplace and childhood locations, West Point attendance, Mexican‑American War service, a list of major Civil War engagements, appointment to Lieutenant General, presidential inauguration date, and Reconstruction‑era contributions. For practitioners, this is where the resolution establishes the narrative it will memorialize; those facts are what local groups and press releases will quote when citing congressional recognition.
Recognition of Land of US Grant, Inc.
One 'whereas' specifically highlights Land of US Grant, Inc., and lists the physical assets it preserves (boyhood home, schoolhouse, tannery, statue, murals). That clause serves as a congressional endorsement of the organization's preservation work but contains no grant, appropriation, or federal obligation—meaning the practical effect is reputational rather than financial.
Formal honor to Grant and local preservation group
The first operative clause formally 'honors' Ulysses S. Grant and the Land of US Grant, Inc., for contributions to Ohio and the Second Congressional District. Legally, this is a declarative statement with symbolic effect: it can be cited by stakeholders but does not impose duties, create benefits, or change statutes.
Affirmation of legacy on military success and civil rights
The second resolved clause affirms Grant’s centrality to the Union victory and characterizes him as a trailblazer for civil rights and Reconstruction efforts. That framing signals how the introducing Member wants Grant remembered; it may be relevant for educators, museums, or grant applicants that reference congressional positions on historical interpretation.
Introduction and committee referral
The final procedural lines show the bill was introduced by Rep. David Taylor and referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. The referral is administrative and sets where any further consideration would occur; it does not change the resolution’s nonbinding character but determines which committee would report it to the floor if the House chose to take it up.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Land of US Grant, Inc.: Gains an explicit congressional endorsement naming the sites it preserves, which the organization can cite in outreach and fundraising even though no federal funds are provided.
- Georgetown and Clinton County, Ohio: Local tourism and civic booster groups receive a federal recognition they can use in promotion and grant applications to bolster heritage tourism.
- Historians, museums, and educators focused on Civil War and Reconstruction: Obtain a concise, official congressional framing of Grant’s role that may be used in interpretive materials and public programming.
Who Bears the Cost
- House of Representatives and Committee on Armed Services: Must allocate limited floor or committee time and staff resources to consider and process the resolution, albeit small.
- Local governments and preservation groups: May face modest event or maintenance expenses if they choose to mark the resolution with ceremonies or upgraded preservation efforts without federal funding.
- Taxpayers: No direct fiscal cost from the resolution itself, but minimal administrative costs are implicit in congressional processing and recordkeeping.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is between symbolic recognition and substantive policy: Congress can enshrine a particular, selective framing of a historical figure without committing resources or addressing the deeper, contested elements of that legacy—so the resolution honors and simplifies simultaneously, leaving constituencies to weigh commemoration against the absence of concrete action.
This resolution performs a common congressional function—symbolic commemoration—while leaving several practical questions open. It lauds Grant’s civil‑rights efforts and cites the Department of Justice and the 15th Amendment, yet it does not engage with the more contested aspects of his presidency (for example, administration scandals or contested Reconstruction outcomes).
That selective framing is normal for ceremonial resolutions but matters because congressional language contributes to historical narratives without providing the nuance of scholarship.
Another implementation tension is procedural: the bill was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, which has jurisdiction over military affairs but not historical commemoration or cultural preservation—an administrative routing that affects where the measure would be calendared but has no substantive effect on public policy. Finally, the resolution confers reputational benefit on a local nonprofit but creates no funding stream; recipients might leverage the recognition when applying for grants, yet the federal endorsement does not obligate agencies to act, so expectations should be calibrated accordingly.
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