Compare Ulysses S. Grant and Donald Trump
BBC Newsreel offers a variety of videos on many different topics. Like this one, click on the picture to see the reel:
As Donald Trump becomes the first former US president to face criminal charges, BBC Reel explores the history of the first sitting US president to be arrested, Ulysses S. Grant.
General Grant, the 18th President of the United States, was known for his love of fast horses – and riding them around the streets of Washington DC, at speed.
And in 1872, that was exactly how he became the only sitting president in US history to be arrested while in office.
But who was the man who dared to arrest him?
Topic; The first president to be arrested
- Begin by reviewing the basic facts about the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant. Watch the video
- Explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
- Discuss the implications of the arrest for the office of the president.
- Compare and contrast the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant to the potential arrest of Donald Trump.
Assessment:
- Students will be assessed on their ability to identify the first president to be arrested, explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest, discuss the implications of the arrest for the office of the president, compare and contrast the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant to the potential arrest of Donald Trump, and complete a worksheet on the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant and the potential arrest of Donald Trump.
Discussion
- Think critically about the implications of the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant and the potential arrest of Donald Trump.
Extension Activities:
- Have students research other presidents who have been accused of crimes.
- Have students write a persuasive essay arguing whether or not a president should be immune from prosecution.
- Have students create a timeline of the events leading up to the arrest of Ulysses S. Grant or the potential arrest of Donald Trump.