page_title: Levi P. Morton
section_title: Governor of New York
hierarchical_section_title: Levi P. Morton / Career / Governor of New York
caption_attribution_description: English: A portrait of U.S. Vice President and New York Governor Levi P. Morton.
context_page_description: Levi Parsons Morton was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as United States ambassador to France, as a US representative from New York, and as the 31st governor of New York.
  The son of a Congregational minister, Morton was born in Vermont and educated at public schools in Vermont and Massachusetts. He trained for a business career by clerking in stores and working in mercantile establishments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. After relocating to New York City, Morton became a successful merchant, cotton broker, and investment banker.
  Active in politics as a Republican, Morton was an ally of Roscoe Conkling. He was twice elected to the United States House of Representatives, and he served one full term, and one partial one. In 1880, Republican presidential nominee James 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 to Garfield. Conkling advised Morton to decline, which he did. Garfield then offered the nomination to another Conkling ally, Chester A. Arthur, who accepted.
context_section_description: In 1894, Morton was elected governor of New York, defeating Democratic nominee David B. Hill and several minor party candidates.  He served one two-year term, January 1, 1895 to December 31, 1896. One initiative in which Morton was involved as governor was the consolidation of several New York City-area municipalities as the City of Greater New York, which took effect on January 1, 1898.
  Another Morton priority was civil service reform. 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 the spoils system. As a result, in 1896 the Republican Party nominated Frank S. Black, who was perceived as closer to the party bosses than Morton.
  Morton was a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 1896, but the delegates chose William McKinley. Morton was then considered for the vice presidential nomination, but McKinley's campaign manager, Mark Hanna, was opposed and the nomination went to Garret Hobart. After he completed his term as governor, Morton returned to his business career and management of his investments.
caption: Gubernatorial portrait of Levi P. Morton
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