Gilded box presented to Ulysses S. Grant by the City of London in 1877
After leaving office in 1876, Grant and his family embarked on a two-year tour around the world. They were treated like royalty and received numerous gifts from foreign leaders. This small casket, presented by the City of London, symbolically conferred on Grant the "Freedom of the City." Grant's popularity overseas did not translate back home; he ran for president again in 1880 but failed to win the nomination. Many of the gifts Grant received on his travels came to the Smithsonian as part of a collection of Grant relics donated in 1886.
See also:
Presidential Memorabilia
