Secrets & Scandals Of America’s First Ladies

Julia Dent Grant

Julia Dent Grant became the wife of former president Ulysses S. Grant. Julia a tomboy in her youth and was cross-eyed her entire life. Her cross-eyed condition was called strabismus, which she never had corrected and caused her to pose in profile for all her portraits. These facts seemed like shortcomings but even in her shortcomings, she never stopped pursuing her accomplished equestrienne hobby. Not even Ulysses could be deterred from her condition. Although she only considered surgery once her husband became president, she never went through with it. This, unfortunately, did lead to some embarrassing moments at events at the White House as a very public figure.