Levi P. Morton | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Mortonc. 1889 | |
| 22ndVice President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893 | |
| President | Benjamin Harrison |
| Preceded by | Thomas A. Hendricks |
| Succeeded by | Adlai Stevenson I |
| 31st Governor of New York | |
| In office January 1, 1895 – December 31, 1896 | |
| Lieutenant | Charles T. Saxton |
| Preceded by | Roswell P. Flower |
| Succeeded by | Frank S. Black |
| 25thUnited States Minister to France | |
| In office August 5, 1881 – May 14, 1885 | |
| President | James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | Edward Follansbee Noyes |
| Succeeded by | Robert Milligan McLane |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's11th district | |
| In office March 4, 1879 – March 21, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin A. Willis |
| Succeeded by | Roswell P. Flower |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Levi Parsons Morton (1824-05-16)May 16, 1824 Shoreham, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | May 16, 1920(1920-05-16) (aged 96) Rhinebeck, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rhinebeck Cemetery,Rhinebeck, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 7 |
| Relatives | Daniel O. Morton (brother) William Morton Grinnell (nephew) |
| Profession | Investment banker |
| Signature |  |
Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22ndvice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served asUnited States ambassador to France, as aU.S. representative fromNew York, and as the thirty-firstgovernor of New York.
The son of aCongregational minister, Morton was born inVermont and educated at public schools in Vermont andMassachusetts. He trained for a business career by clerking in stores and working in mercantile establishments in Massachusetts andNew Hampshire. After relocating to New York City, Morton became a successful merchant, cotton broker, and investment banker.
Active in politics as aRepublican, Morton was an ally ofRoscoe Conkling. He was twice elected to theUnited States House of Representatives, and he served one full term, and one partial one (March 4, 1879 – March 21, 1881). In 1880, Republican presidential nomineeJames A. Garfield offered Morton the vice presidential nomination in an effort to win over Conkling loyalists who were disappointed that their choice for president,Ulysses S. Grant, had lost the Republican nomination to Garfield. Conkling advised Morton to decline, which he did. Garfield then offered the vice presidential nomination to another Conkling ally,Chester A. Arthur, who accepted.
After Garfield and Arthur were elected, Garfield nominated Morton to beMinister Plenipotentiary to France, and Morton served in Paris until 1885. In 1888, Morton was nominated for vice president on the Republican ticket with presidential nomineeBenjamin Harrison; they were elected, and Morton served as vice president from 1889 to 1893. In 1894, Morton was the successful Republican nominee forgovernor of New York, and he served one term, 1895 to 1896. In retirement, Morton resided in New York City andRhinebeck, New York. He died frompneumonia onhis 96th birthday in 1920, and was buried at Rhinebeck Cemetery.
Morton was born inShoreham, Vermont, on May 16, 1824, one of six children born to the Reverend Daniel Oliver Morton, aCongregational minister, and Lucretia Parsons.[1] Morton was of entirely English ancestry, all of his immigrant ancestors came to North America from England during thePuritan migration to New England.[2] His paternal ancestors included CaptainNathaniel Morton ofPlymouth Colony.[3] Morton was named for his mother's brother Reverend Levi Parsons (1792–1822), a clergyman who was also the first U.S. missionary to work inPalestine.[4] His older brother,Daniel Oliver Morton, served as theMayor of Toledo, Ohio, from 1849 to 1850.[5] His younger sister, Mary Morton, was married to William F. Grinnell, and was the mother ofWilliam Morton Grinnell, who served as theThird Assistant Secretary of State while Morton was vice president.[6]
Morton's family moved toSpringfield, Vermont, in 1832, when his father became the minister of the Congregational church there.[7] Rev. Morton headed the congregation during the construction of the brick colonial revival-style church on Main Street that is still in use.[7][8] Levi Morton was considered by his Springfield peers to be a "leader in all affairs in which schoolboys usually engage."[7]: 40, 75, 236 The Morton family later moved toWinchendon, Massachusetts, where Reverend Morton continued to serve as a church pastor.[4] In 1838, Levi Morton graduated from the academy in Shoreham, Vermont.[9]: 408
Morton decided on a business career, and in 1838 he began work as ageneral store clerk inEnfield, Massachusetts.[4] He taught school inBoscawen, New Hampshire, and engaged in mercantile pursuits inHanover, New Hampshire, then moved toBoston to work in the Beebe & Co. importing business.[4] He eventually settled in New York City, where he entered thedry goods business in partnership withGeorge Blake Grinnell and became a successful cotton broker.[4] He then established himself as one of the country's top investment bankers in a firm he founded, Morton, Bliss & Co., which was later reorganized as the Morton Trust Company.[4]
During theAmerican Civil War, Morton supported theUnion.[10] Unable to obtain cotton from the southern states because of the Union blockade, Morton suspended his cotton business for the duration of the conflict.[10] After the war, Morton and his British partner,Sir John Rose, recovered their financial positions and improved their political fortunes by using their contacts to assist the United States and England to settle theAlabama Claims.[10] When England agreed to pay a $15 million settlement (about $307 million in 2020), Morton's bank was chosen to facilitate payments to claimants in the United States.[10]
In addition to operating Morton, Bliss & Co., Morton was active in several other businesses. These included the board of directors of the New York Viaduct Railway Company,[11] Guaranty Trust Company,[12] Washington Life Insurance Company,[13] Home Insurance Company,[14] andEquitable Life Assurance Society.[15] In addition, he was an investor in numerous ventures, including theRio Grande, Sierra Madre & Pacific Railway,[16] Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company,[17] and Intercontinental Rubber Company.[18] Morton also maintained a farm on his estate, where he raised prizewinning horses and cattle.[19]
In 1909, Morton received an offer fromJ. P. Morgan to merge the Morton company with theMorgan Guaranty Trust Company.[10] He accepted, after which he retired from most business pursuits.[10]
Active in politics as a Republican, in 1876, Morton was named finance chairman for theRepublican National Committee.[10] Also in 1876, Morton was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the45th Congress.[10] In recognition of his service to the party, PresidentRutherford B. Hayes appointed Morton as an honorary commissioner to theParis Exhibition of 1878.[20]
Morton was involved in many civic and charitable causes. In 1883, he was one of the founders of theMetropolitan Opera.[21] In 1886, he was appointed to theHobart College board of trustees.[22] He served for several years, including a term as chairman of the board.[22] He also served on the board of trustees of theAmerican Museum of Natural History.[23]
Identified with theStalwart faction ofRepublicans led byRoscoe Conkling, in 1878 Morton was elected to representManhattan in the46th Congress.[4] He was reelected to the47th Congress in 1880, and served from March 4, 1879, until his resignation on March 21, 1881.[4] During Morton's House tenure, he served as a member of theForeign Relations Committee.[24] On the currency issue, which dominated discussions ofU.S. economic policy for several decades, Morton consistently advocated for thegold standard.[24]
The1880 Republican National Convention was dominated by "Half-Breed" supporters ofJames G. Blaine and Stalwart supporters ofUlysses S. Grant for the presidential nomination.[25]James A. Garfield, who was not affiliated with either faction, but was a friend of Blaine, won the nomination[25] and attempted to win over Stalwarts by asking Morton to be his vice presidential running mate.[24] Conkling, who had managed Grant's campaign, advised Morton to decline, which Morton did.[24] Garfield's supporters then turned toChester A. Arthur, a fellow Stalwart and close Conkling friend.[25] Conkling also advised Arthur to decline, but Arthur accepted; Garfield and he were narrowly elected over their Democratic opponents.[25]
During the 1880 campaign, Morton and other Stalwarts believed that Garfield had committed to appoint Morton asSecretary of the Treasury.[10] After Garfield won, they were incensed when he claimed he had never made such a promise.[10] As a consolation, Garfield offered Morton appointment asSecretary of the Navy.[10] Morton initially accepted, but then declined after Conkling advised him to turn it down.[4][10]
After Morton declined to join the cabinet, Garfield appointed him asMinister to France.[4][10] Morton accepted, and served from 1881 to 1885, continuing in office after Garfield was assassinated and Arthur became president.[10]
Morton was very popular in France.[4] He helped commercial relations between the two countries run smoothly during his term, and in Paris on October 24, 1881, he placed the first rivet in the construction of theStatue of Liberty.[4] After completion of the statue, he accepted it on behalf of the United States in a ceremony on July 4, 1884, when he signed an agreement with the Union Franco Americaine, the organization formed in France to finance the creation of the statue.[26]
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After returning to the United States, Morton was a candidate forU.S. Senator in 1885.[4] He lost the Republican nomination toWilliam M. Evarts, who went on to win election by the full New York State Legislature.[4] He was again a candidatein 1887.[4] Republicans controlled the legislature, meaning their nominee would win the election.[4] IncumbentWarner Miller was recognized as a member of theHalf-Breed faction, and had succeeded state Republican bossThomas C. Platt in the Senate.[4] Platt had succeeded Conkling as leader of the Stalwarts, and was determined to see Miller defeated, so he backed Morton against Miller.[27] A third candidate,Frank Hiscock, was not affiliated with either faction and had little initial support.[27] After 17 ballots failed to produce a nominee, Morton withdrew and asked his supporters to back Hiscock to ensure that Miller would not be reelected.[4] Hiscock was chosen on the 18th ballot, and won the election by defeating DemocratSmith Mead Weed.[9]: 326–327
At the1888 Republican National Convention, Republicans nominatedBenjamin Harrison for president.[10] For vice president, the delegates considered Morton,William Walter Phelps,William O'Connell Bradley and several other candidates.[10]James G. Blaine's support had helped Harrison attain the presidential nomination.[10] In an echo of the Stalwart-Half Breed rivalry, Blaine backed Phelps for vice president, but the New York delegation, led byThomas C. Platt refused to consider him.[28] Though he had been an opponent of the Stalwarts, Former senatorWarner Miller, a member of the New York delegation, nominated Morton.[28] It quickly became apparent that Morton had enough delegate support to win, and he attained the nomination on the first ballot with 591 votes to 119 for Phelps, 103 for Bradley, and 11 forBlanche K. Bruce.[28]
In thegeneral election, Harrison and Morton lost the popular vote to the Democratic candidates, incumbent presidentGrover Cleveland andAllen G. Thurman, but won the electoral college vote.[29] Harrison and Morton took office on March 4, 1889, and served until March 4, 1893.[4]
Harrison's wifeCaroline was frequently ill during his administration, and she died in 1892.[10] AsSecond Lady of the United States, Morton's wifeAnna frequently served as Harrison's hostess and performed the duties of theFirst Lady.[10]
As vice president, Morton presided over the U.S. Senate.[10] He was not close to Harrison personally, and Harrison did not often consult with him on political matters.[10] A major Harrison initiative was theLodge Bill, which would permit the use of federal force to ensure the voting rights of maleAfrican Americans in the formerConfederacy.[10] Southern Democrats conducted afilibuster, believing the bill would restoreReconstruction era-like Republican rule.[10] Republicans from the western states who supportedfree silver believed the most pressing issue was the need for an inflated currency to stimulate the economy.[10] As a result, the free silver Republicans joined Democrats in opposing consideration of the Lodge Bill.[10]
The Lodge Bill reached the Senate floor when a tie enabled Morton to cast the deciding vote in favor of consideration.[10] Southern Democrats filibustered again, and Morton refused to aid Republican senators in ending it.[10] Republicans in the Senate then attempted to persuade Morton to allow a Republican senator to preside, but Morton insisted on remaining in the chair.[10] On January 26, 1891, a resolution to replace consideration of the Lodge Bill with a bill on a different subject passed by a vote of 35 to 34, and the Lodge Bill died.[10]
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Harrison blamed Morton for the Lodge Bill's failure.[10] At the1892 Republican National Convention, Harrison was nominated for reelection but delegates replaced Morton withWhitelaw Reid.[30] Harrison and Reid went on to lose the1892 election to Democratic nomineesGrover Cleveland andAdlai E. Stevenson.[31]
In 1894, Morton was elected governor of New York, defeating Democratic nomineeDavid B. Hill and several minor party candidates.[4] He served one two-year term, January 1, 1895, to December 31, 1896.[20] One initiative in which Morton was involved as governor was the consolidation of several New York City-area municipalities as theCity of Greater New York, which took effect on January 1, 1898.[24]
Another Morton priority wascivil service reform.[10] Morton pursued a moderate course on the issue, but remained firm in his support, which placed him in opposition to political party bosses who favored thespoils system.[10] As a result, in 1896 the Republican Party nominatedFrank S. Black, who was perceived as closer to the party bosses than Morton.[10]
Morton was a leading contender for the Republican presidential nominationin 1896, but the delegates choseWilliam McKinley.[24] Morton was then considered for the vice presidential nomination, but McKinley's campaign manager,Mark Hanna, was opposed, and the nomination went toGarret Hobart.[32] After he completed his term as governor, Morton returned to his business career and management of his investments.[20]
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In 1890, Morton became one of the first members of the District of Columbia Society of theSons of the American Revolution.[33] He was also a member of theGeneral Society of Colonial Wars.[34]
In retirement, he served as president of theMetropolitan Club.[35] He was preceded in that office byJ. Pierpont Morgan and succeeded byFrank Knight Sturgis[35] He was also a member of theUnion League Club of New York, and served as president of theNew York Zoological Society from 1897 to 1909.[34]
Morton became ill during the winter of 1919 to 1920; a cold developed into bronchitis, and he eventually contracted pneumonia, which proved fatal.[36] He died inRhinebeck, New York, on May 16, 1920,his 96th birthday.[37] After a memorial service at theCathedral of St. John the Divine, he was interred at Rhinebeck Cemetery.[38] At age 96, Morton was thelongest livingvice president of the United States untilJohn Nance Garner, who died at age 98, surpassed him in 1964.[39]
On October 15, 1856, Morton married Lucy Young Kimball, the daughter of Elijah Huntingdon Kimball and Sarah Wetmore Hinsdale, inFlatlands, Brooklyn.[40] They had one child, daughter Carrie, who died in infancy in 1857.[41]
After his first wife's death in 1871, Morton marriedAnna Livingston Reade Street in 1873.[42] They were the parents of five daughters and a son who died in infancy.
In 1902, Alice Morton foundedHoliday Farm, aconvalescent home for children. Children who attended were picked up at Grand Central Station and brought to the farm in Rhinebeck. Train fare, board and clothing were provided free. In 1917,Vincent Astor served as president, withHelen Dinsmore Huntington as secretary.[57] Holiday Farm later developed into theAstor Home for Children.
In 1881, Morton received thehonorary degree ofLL.D. fromDartmouth College.[4] In 1882,Middlebury College presented him with an honorary LL.D.[58] As an honorary alumnus, Morton frequently attended Dartmouth alumni gatherings in New York.[59]
The Mortons lived atEllerslie, an estate nearRhinecliff, New York.[60] The manor home no longer exists, but several outbuildings survive as a local historic site.[61] Anna L. and Levi Morton erected theMorton Memorial Library in Rhinecliff in memory of their daughter Lena.[62] It was dedicated in 1908 and is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.[62]
The Village ofMorton Grove, Illinois, aChicago suburb founded along the path of theChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, was named for Morton.[63] He received the honor after he provided the financing necessary for the railway to expand its operations into Michigan and Wisconsin beginning in the 1870s.[63]
Morton spent summers inNewport, Rhode Island, at a Bellevue Avenue mansion called "Fairlawn".[64] The home is now owned bySalve Regina University and houses the Pell Center of International Relations and Public Policy.[64] Morton also left another Newport property to the city for use as a park.[64] Located at the corner of Coggeshall and Morton avenues (the latter formerly Brenton Road), the site was named Morton Park in Morton's honor.[64]
In 1885, Morton purchased a home and land inHanover, New Hampshire, which he donated toDartmouth College.[65] The college used the home until 1900, when it was torn down to make way for the school'sWebster Hall.[65] Morton also endowed theDaniel O. Morton Scholarship at Dartmouth.[66] In addition, he endowed scholarships atMiddlebury College, one in honor of Daniel Morton and another in honor of Levi Parsons.[67]
Morton also owned a summer retreat onEagle Island onUpper Saranac Lake in theAdirondack Park.[68] The home's design, created by architectWilliam L. Coulter, was done in theGreat Camps style.[68] The Morton family later sold the property to bankerHenry Graves.[68] In 1938, Graves donated the site to theGirl Scouts, who operated a summer camp there for seventy years.[68]
A likeness of Morton is included in theUnited States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection at the U.S. Capitol.[69] The Morton bust was sculpted byFrancis Edwin Elwell and was placed on display in 1891.[69]
A portrait of Morton is included in the New York State Hall of Governors.[70] The painting was created byAlbany, New York, artist George Hughes (1863–1932) in 1896 and was presented to the state in 1900.[70]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 11th congressional district 1879–1881 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Minister to France 1881–1885 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republicannominee for Vice President of the United States 1888 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of New York 1894 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Vice President of the United States 1889–1893 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of New York 1895–1896 | Succeeded by |
| Envoys to France (1776–1779) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ministers Plenipotentiary to France (1778–1815) | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to France (1816–1893) | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France (1893–present) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
