Page "Black Friday (1869)" Paragraph 5

Although Grant was not directly involved in the scandal, his personal association with Gould and Fisk gave clout to their attempt to manipulate the gold market.

Also, Grant's order to release gold in response to gold's rising price was itself a manipulation of the market.

Grant had personally declined to listen to Gould's ambitious plan to corner the gold market, since the scheme was not announced publicly, but he could not be trusted.

Gould had promoted the plan to Grant as a means to help farmers sell a bountiful 1869 wheat crop to Europe.