Editing Levi P. Morton (section)

==Career==
===Businessman===
Morton decided on a business career, and in 1838 he began work as a [[general store]] clerk in [[Enfield, Massachusetts]].<ref name="Red_Book"/> He taught school in [[Boscawen, New Hampshire]], and engaged in mercantile pursuits in [[Hanover, New Hampshire]], then moved to [[Boston]] to work in the Beebe & Co. importing business.<ref name="Red_Book"/> He eventually settled in New York City, where he entered the [[dry goods]] business in partnership with [[George Blake Grinnell]] and became a successful cotton broker.<ref name="Red_Book"/> 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.<ref name="Red_Book"/>

During the [[American Civil War]], Morton supported the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> Unable to obtain cotton from the southern states because of the Union blockade, Morton suspended his cotton business for the duration of the conflict.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> After the war, Morton and his British partner, [[Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet|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 the [[Alabama Claims|''Alabama'' Claims]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> 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.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/>

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,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 15, 1871 |title=The New-York Viaduct Railway Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mp5GAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA84-IA4 |magazine=[[Appletons' Journal]] |location=New York |publisher=D. Appleton & Company |page=iv |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Guaranty Trust Company,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 1910 |title=The Trust Company Merger |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fg5HAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA50 |magazine=Trust Companies |location=New York |pages=49–50 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Washington Life Insurance Company,<ref>{{cite book |date=1889 |title=The Washington Life Insurance Company: Historical, Actuarial and Medical Statistics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGsaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA7 |location=New York |publisher=Washington Life Insurance Company |page=7 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Home Insurance Company,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 1905 |title=Strong Statement of the Home Insurance Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQEwYSB5xeoC&pg=PA14 |magazine=The Insurance Age |location=New York |publisher=Matthew Griffin |page=14 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> and [[Equitable Holdings|Equitable Life Assurance Society]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1909 |title=Equitable Life Assurance Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZ1EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA216 |magazine=The Insurance Year Book |location=New York |publisher=The Spectator Company |page=216 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> In addition, he was an investor in numerous ventures, including the [[Mexico North Western Railway|Rio Grande, Sierra Madre & Pacific Railway]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Powell |first=Fred Wilbur |date=1921 |title=The Railroads of Mexico |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nj8aAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA157 |location=Boston |publisher=The Stratford Co. |page=157 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 30, 1902 |title=Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XggAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA8-PA17 |magazine=The Age of Steel |location=St. Louis |publisher=Journal of Commerce Co. |page=17 |via=[[Google Books]] }}</ref> and Intercontinental Rubber Company.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 1910 |title=Intercontinental Rubber Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dncpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA179 |magazine=The Ticker and Investment Digest |location=New York |publisher=Ticker Publishing Company |page=179 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Morton also maintained a farm on his estate, where he raised prizewinning horses and cattle.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 5, 1892 |title=Vice-President Morton's Farm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQznAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA431 |magazine=[[The Illustrated American]] |location=New York |publisher=The Illustrated American Publishing Company |page=431 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

In 1909, Morton received an offer from [[J. P. Morgan]] to merge the Morton company with the [[J.P. Morgan & Co.#Morgan Guaranty Trust|Morgan Guaranty Trust Company]].<ref name="SenateHistorian">{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president/morton-levi.htm |title=Levi Parsons Morton, 22nd Vice President (1889–1893) |last=Historian of the United States Senate |website=Senate.gov |publisher=U.S. Senate |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> He accepted, after which he retired from most business pursuits.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/>

===Republican activist===
Active in politics as a Republican, in 1876, Morton was named finance chairman for the [[Republican National Committee]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> Also in 1876, Morton was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the [[45th United States Congress|45th Congress]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> In recognition of his service to the party, President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] appointed Morton as an honorary commissioner to the [[Paris Exhibition of 1878]].<ref name="LPMbioguide">{{cite book |editor1-last=Dodge |editor1-first=Andrew R. |editor2-last=Koed |editor2-first=Betty K. |date=2005 |title=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v9MBIctdjjkC&pg=PA1626 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=1626 |isbn=978-0-16-073176-1 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

===Civic leader===
Morton was involved in many civic and charitable causes. In 1883, he was one of the founders of the [[Metropolitan Opera]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Hood |first=Clifton |date=2017 |title=In Pursuit of Privilege |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F9obDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA237 |location=New York |publisher=Columbia University Press |page=237 |isbn=978-0-231-54295-1}}</ref> In 1886, he was appointed to the [[Hobart and William Smith Colleges|Hobart College]] board of trustees.<ref name="Regents">{{cite book |last=Pierson |first=Henry R., Chancellor |author-link=Henry R. Pierson |date=1889 |title=Report of the Regents of the University of the State of New York |volume=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G5kwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA462 |location=Albany, N.Y. |publisher=Troy Press Company |page=462 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> He served for several years, including a term as chairman of the board.<ref name="Regents"/> He also served on the board of trustees of the [[American Museum of Natural History]].<ref>{{cite book |last=AMNH Board of Trustees |date=1890 |title=Annual Report |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hcRqgF9fUAEC&pg=PA3 |location=New York |publisher=Press of Wm. C. Martin |page=3 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

===Member of Congress===
[[File:Levi Morton - Brady-Handy portrait - standard crop.jpg|thumb|Brady-Handy photo, circa 1876]]
Identified with the [[Stalwart (politics)|Stalwart]] faction of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] led by [[Roscoe Conkling]], in 1878 Morton was elected to represent [[Manhattan]] in the [[46th United States Congress|46th Congress]].<ref name="Red_Book"/>  He was reelected to the [[47th United States Congress|47th Congress]] in 1880, and served from March 4, 1879, until his resignation on March 21, 1881.<ref name="Red_Book"/> During Morton's House tenure, he served as a member of the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|Foreign Relations Committee]].<ref name=Miller_Center>{{cite web |url=https://millercenter.org/president/bharrison/essays/morton-1889-vicepresident |last=Miller Center: U.S. Presidents |title= Levi P. Morton |date=2019 |website=US Presidents: Benjamin Harrison |publisher=University of Virginia |location=Charlottesville, Virginia |access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> On the currency issue, which dominated discussions of [[Economic history of the United States|U.S. economic policy]] for several decades, Morton consistently advocated for the [[gold standard]].<ref name=Miller_Center/>

The [[1880 Republican National Convention]] was dominated by "[[Half-Breeds (politics)|Half-Breed]]" supporters of [[James G. Blaine]] and Stalwart supporters of [[Ulysses S. Grant]] for the presidential nomination.<ref name=Doenecke>{{cite web |url=https://millercenter.org/president/garfield/campaigns-and-elections |title=Campaigns and Elections |last=Doenecke |first=Justus |date=2019 |website=U.S. Presidents: James A. Garfield |publisher=University of Virginia |location=Charlottesville, Virginia |access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref>  [[James A. Garfield]], who was not affiliated with either faction, but was a friend of Blaine, won the nomination<ref name="Doenecke"/> and attempted to win over Stalwarts by asking Morton to be his vice presidential running mate.<ref name=Miller_Center/>  Conkling, who had managed Grant's campaign, advised Morton to decline, which Morton did.<ref name="Miller_Center"/> Garfield's supporters then turned to [[Chester A. Arthur]], a fellow Stalwart and close Conkling friend.<ref name="Doenecke"/> Conkling also advised Arthur to decline, but Arthur accepted; Garfield and he were narrowly elected over their Democratic opponents.<ref name="Doenecke"/>

===Minister to France===
During the 1880 campaign, Morton and other Stalwarts believed that Garfield had committed to appoint Morton as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> After Garfield won, they were incensed when he claimed he had never made such a promise.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> As a consolation, Garfield offered Morton appointment as [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> Morton initially accepted, but then declined after Conkling advised him to turn it down.<ref name="Red_Book"/><ref name="SenateHistorian"/>

After Morton declined to join the cabinet, Garfield appointed him as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to France|Minister to France]].<ref name="Red_Book"/><ref name="SenateHistorian"/> Morton accepted, and served from 1881 to 1885, continuing in office after Garfield was assassinated and Arthur became president.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/>

Morton was very popular in France.<ref name="Red_Book"/> 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 the [[Statue of Liberty]].<ref name="Red_Book"/> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last=U.S. House of Representatives |date=1885 |title=Executive Documents of the House of Representatives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a4IZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA159 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=159–160 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

=== U.S. Senate candidate===
[[File:Levi Parsons Morson (U.S. Vice President, 1889-1893).jpg|thumb|left|Carte-de-visite photo, {{circa}} 1882]]
After returning to the United States, Morton was a candidate for [[1885 United States Senate election in New York|U.S. Senator in 1885]].<ref name="Red_Book"/>  He lost the Republican nomination to [[William M. Evarts]], who went on to win election by the full New York State Legislature.<ref name="Red_Book"/>  He was again a candidate [[1887 United States Senate election in New York|in 1887]].<ref name="Red_Book"/>  Republicans controlled the legislature, meaning their nominee would win the election.<ref name="Red_Book"/> Incumbent [[Warner Miller]] was recognized as a member of the [[Half-Breeds (politics)|Half-Breed]] faction, and had succeeded state Republican boss [[Thomas C. Platt]] in the Senate.<ref name="Red_Book"/> Platt had succeeded Conkling as leader of the Stalwarts, and was determined to see Miller defeated, so he backed Morton against Miller.<ref name="Platt">{{cite book |last=Platt |first=Thomas C. |date=1910 |title=The Autobiography of Thomas Collier Platt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oGWTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA187 |location=New York |publisher=B. W. Dodge & Company |pages=187–192 |isbn=9781404783171 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> A third candidate, [[Frank Hiscock]], was not affiliated with either faction and had little initial support.<ref name="Platt"/> 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.<ref name="Red_Book"/>  Hiscock was chosen on the 18th ballot, and won the election by defeating Democrat [[Smith Mead Weed]].<ref name="Brown"/>{{rp|326–327}}