In his retirement, Grant was the first president to circumnavigate the world on his tour, meeting with many foreign leaders. In 1880, Grant was unsuccessful in obtaining the Republican presidential nomination for a third term. In the final year of his life, facing severe financial reversals and dying of throat cancer, he wrote his memoirs, which proved to be a major critical and financial success. At the time of his death, he was memorialized as a symbol of national unity. Militarily evaluated, Grant was a modern general and "a skillful leader who had a natural grasp of tactics and strategy." Historical assessments of Grant's presidency have improved over time. Grant was ranked 38th in 1994 and 1996 but ranked 21st in 2018. Although critical of scandals and Grant's loyal defense of culprits, modern historians have emphasized Grant's two-term presidential accomplishments. These included Grant's protection of African American civil rights, prosecution of the Klan, innovative Native American policy, and the settlement of the "Alabama" claims.