Roscoe Conkling was one of the most influential politicians from New York in the mid-19th century and was a leader of the dominant Republican Party in the years following the Civil War.

Comfortable in political scrapes, and often suspected of acting behind the scenes as a power broker, Conkling was offered a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court by two different presidents. He turned down both offers, preferring to stay in the rougher world of electoral politics.

He served in the House of Representatives in the 1860s, and was closely allied with Thaddeus Stevens and the Radical Republicans. He later was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he became powerful during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.

After getting involved in some internal conflicts in the Republican Party surrounding the election of James Garfield, Conkling was effectively isolated in politics. He essentially retired to a lucrative law practice on Wall Street.

Early Life of Roscoe Conkling

Roscoe Conkling was born on October 30, 1829, in Albany, New York. He became a lawyer and was elected mayor of Utica in 1858.

After joining the Republican Party, Conkling served in the House of Representatives from 1859 to 1863 and again from 1865 to 1867. He was involved in drafting the program of Reconstruction proposed by the Radical Republicans.

The Power of Roscoe Conkling

In 1867 Conkling consolidated his power and effectively became the head of the Republicans in New York State. He was elected to the U.S.

Senate and became closely allied with President Grant. At one point Grant offered to appoint him to the Supreme Court, but Conkling refused.

During the Grant administration it was generally believed that the federal government's policy toward the South was directed by Conkling.

A throwback to the days of the spoils system, Conkling believed in dispensing patronage jobs. And he essentially ran the Republican Party in New York as an organization which stood in opposition to Tammany Hall, the traditional Democratic political machine.

He was not a supporter of James Garfield, who was elected on the Republican ticket in 1880. Conkling disagreed with Garfield to the extent that he resigned from the Senate and returned to New York. His plan was to run for the Senate again and win, showing that he was powerful in New York without Garfield's support.

When Garfield was shot by an assassin and later died of his wounds, Conkling's plan was derailed. He chose not to return to politics.

In the Blizzard of 1888 Conkling nearly died after being trapped in a snow drift in Manhattan. He recovered, but only briefly. He died on April 18, 1888.