Archibald Meserole Bliss

Archibald Meserole Bliss (January 25, 1838 – March 19, 1923) was an American politician who served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York, holding office from 1875 to 1883 and from 1885 to 1889. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, where he attended the common schools. Little is recorded about his early family background, but his lifelong association with Brooklyn and its civic affairs suggests deep roots in the community. He married Marie E. Meserale, and the couple had two children.

Bliss’s public career began in municipal politics in Brooklyn during the Civil War era. Between 1864 and 1867 he served as an alderman of Brooklyn, and in 1866 he was chosen president of the board of aldermen, placing him in a leading role in city governance at a time of rapid urban growth. In 1867 he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Brooklyn, running on the Republican ticket. His early political activity also extended to the national stage: he was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1864 and 1868, reflecting his initial alignment with the Republican Party during and immediately after the Civil War.

During the late 1860s and early 1870s, Bliss remained active in both civic administration and business. He served as a member of the board of water commissioners of Brooklyn in 1871 and 1872, participating in the oversight of the city’s essential infrastructure. At the same time, he developed significant interests in local transportation and development. From 1868 until 1878 he was president and vice president of the Bushwick Railroad Company, a street railway enterprise that contributed to the expansion and integration of Brooklyn neighborhoods. He also served as a director of the New York & Long Island Bridge Company, an organization involved in efforts to improve transportation links between Long Island and the rest of New York. Politically, he shifted away from the Republican Party, serving as a delegate to the Liberal Republican National Convention in 1872 and later aligning with the Democratic Party, to whose national conventions he was a delegate in 1876, 1880, 1884, and 1888.

Elected as a Democrat, Bliss entered national office as a United States Representative from New York at a time of significant change in American political and economic life. He was first elected to represent New York’s fourth congressional district in the Forty-fourth Congress and was re-elected three times, serving from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1883. During these four consecutive terms he participated in the legislative process in the post–Civil War and Reconstruction era, representing the interests of his Brooklyn constituents in the House of Representatives. His service occurred during a period marked by debates over economic policy, veterans’ issues, and the continued integration of the former Confederate states into the Union’s political framework.

After choosing not to stand for election in 1882, Bliss returned to Congress two years later. He was elected to represent New York’s fifth congressional district in the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1885, to March 3, 1889. Over the course of these six terms in office, he contributed to the legislative work of the House and solidified his reputation as an experienced lawmaker. While in Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Pensions, a position that placed him at the center of federal policy concerning benefits for Civil War veterans and their families, an important and often contentious issue in the late nineteenth century. He did not run for re-election in 1888, concluding his congressional career at the end of the Fiftieth Congress.

Following his departure from Congress, Bliss established himself in private business while remaining in the nation’s capital. From 1889 until his death, he conducted a real estate business in Washington, D.C., transitioning from public office to commercial pursuits but continuing to reside near the center of federal political life. His long post-congressional career in real estate reflected the broader growth and development of Washington during that period.

Archibald Meserole Bliss died in Washington, D.C., on March 19, 1923. He was interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, returning in death to the city where he had been born, launched his public career, and maintained enduring civic and political ties.