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20th President of the United States | |
| Predecessor | William B. Allison |
| Successor | John G. Carlisle |
| Vice President | None |
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19th Vice President of the United States | |
| Predecessor | Thomas A. Hendricks |
| Successor | Daniel W. Voorhees |
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U.S. Representative from New York | |
| Predecessor | Benjamin A. Willis |
| Successor | Roswell P. Flower |
| Born | May 16, 1824 Shoreham, Vermont, US |
| Died | May 16, 1920 (aged 96) Rhinebeck, New York, US |
| Spouse | Anna Street |
| Political Party | Republican (until 1872), American (1874-79), National American (1879-1920) |
Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was an American politician who served as the 20th President of the United States.
Early Life[]
Political Career[]
Morton was one of the first National Americans to win election to office in 1878. He served in that position for several terms, during which time he became strongly allied with Roscoe Conkling's New York political machine. To satiate this faction, and increase the party's chances of winning vital New York, Morton was nominated for vice president in the 1884 presidential election.
Vice Presidency[]
Morton had one of the shortest vice presidencies in US history. He didn't even get to see a full session of Congress before President Allison was shot and killed by assassin Charles Guiteau. Morton became the first vice president in United States history to rise to the presidential office by way of assassination.
Presidency[]
Morton, of course, entered office in a time of great chaos. There was initially some suspicion directed at him, since Guiteau had said at the assassination that he wanted Morton to be president. The new president tried his best to let the nation mourn and also avoid any accusations thrown at him.
After the country was settled down again, President Morton set to work passing most of Allison's stated agenda. During Morton's term, the National American-controlled congress passed many reforms that essentially reversed 20 years of Democratic rule. Tariffs were raised, voting rights were secured for free blacks, and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1874 was repealed. While Morton's administration got a lot done, he was never as well-liked by the public as his predecessor Allison was.
Throughout Morton's term, several corruption scandals occurred in his cabinet which sullied his personal image even further. While no scandal implicated Morton directly, he was seen as somewhat complicit, or at least as a man who could not control his subordinates. The widespread corruption lead to rising popular support for civil service reform, a cause which the Democratic Party eagerly took up.
Morton wanted to run for president in his own right in the 1888 election, but he was opposed by several members of his party for his administration's unpopularity. On the 10th ballot, Russell A. Alger of Michigan won the nomination, denying Morton another term. While initially upset, the president soon got behind his party and supported Alger's campaign. Alger ended up losing to Democrat John G. Carlisle.
Post-Presidency[]
Morton left office with his political career destroyed, but he was at least happy with the legislative progress he was able to make while in office. He retired to New York and pursued personal causes, becoming a leader in several organizations like the Metropolitan Club, the Union League Club of New York, and the New York Zoological Society. After having had one of the longest post-presidencies in American history at 31 years, Morton died at age 96 in 1920.
Legacy[]
Morton is largely forgotten as a president, and when he is remembered it is often for his corruption-riddled administration that got Carlisle elected president. However, the reforms passed while he was in office carried a legacy far greater than that, especially for Black citizens in the US. Just 8 years after Morton's death, the United States fell to a socialist revolution, meaning that whatever physical legacies he left behind- statues, street names, etc.- were largely destroyed.
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