A president surrounded by scandal, Ulysses S. Grant proved himself not only a staunch general during the American Civil War but also a firm supporter of enhancing civil rights and liberties among the recently emancipated African American population in the South. During Reconstruction, Grant tried to be a unifier. He used legislation like the 15th Amendment, which solidified the right to vote regardless of race, as well as federal troops to enforce the increased civil rights of formerly enslaved people and attack groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which were acting against Reconstruction. However, Grant's two terms were impacted by scandals, most of which evolved out of his own political naivete. Though he was ridiculed by his peers, modern historians believe that Grant was a man of personal integrity who happened to put his trust in men who were more easily corrupted and that he likely did not know of any of the scandals, even if he should have.