Elbridge Gerry
Encyclopedia
Elbridge Thomas Gerry (ˈ; 1744–1814) was an American
statesman
and diplomat
. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States
(1813–1814), serving under James Madison
, until his death a year and a half into his term. He was also the second Vice President not to run for President of the United States
, although this was because of his death rather than being a political decision; the first was Aaron Burr
.
Gerry was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
and the Articles of Confederation
. He was one of three men who refused to sign the United States Constitution
because it did not then include a Bill of Rights
. Gerry later became the ninth Governor of Massachusetts
. He is known best for being the namesake of gerrymandering
, a process by which electoral districts are drawn with the aim of aiding the party in power, although its initial ‹g› has softened to dʒ from the hard ɡ of his name.
, the third of twelve children, he was a graduate of Harvard College
, where he studied to be a doctor, attending there from age fourteen. He worked in his father's shipping business and came to prominence over his opposition to commerce taxes. He was elected to the General Court of the province of Massachusetts in May 1772 on an anti-British
platform.
and Edmund Randolph
in not signing it). He was elected to the U.S. House
under the new national government, and served in Congress from 1789 to 1793.
He surprised his friends by becoming a strong supporter of the new government. He so vigorously supported Alexander Hamilton
's reports on public credit, including the assumption of state debts, and supported Hamilton's new Bank of the United States
, that he was considered a leading champion by the Federalists
. He did not stand for re-election in 1792. He was a presidential elector for John Adams
in the 1796 election and was appointed by Adams to the critical delegation to France that was humiliated by the French in the XYZ Affair
. He stayed in France after his two colleagues returned, and Federalists accused him of supporting the French. He returned in October 1798 and switched his affiliation to the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800.
He was the unsuccessful Democratic-Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts in 1800, 1801, 1802 and 1803. In 1810 he was finally elected Governor of Massachusetts
as a Democratic-Republican. He was re-elected in 1811 but defeated in 1812 over his support for the redistricting bill that created the word gerrymander. He was chosen as vice president to James Madison
. He died in office of heart failure in Washington, D.C.
and is buried there in the Congressional Cemetery
.
Gerry's grandson, Elbridge Gerry
(1813–1886), was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine
; his great-grandson, Peter G. Gerry
(1879–1957), was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a United States Senator from Rhode Island
.
In 1812 the word "gerrymander" was coined when the Massachusetts legislature redrew the boundaries of state legislative districts to favor Governor Gerry's party. The governor's strategy was to encompass most of the state's Federalists, allowing them to win in that district while his party, the Democratic-Republicans, took control of all the other districts in the state. The term eventually became part of world political vocabulary, and the practice is still in use today.
Gerry was also depicted in John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
. In 1976 the painting appeared on the reverse of the two dollar bill
and printed again in series 1995 and 2003.
The upstate New York town of Elbridge
is named in his honor, as is the western New York town of Gerry
, in Chautauqua County
. The town of Phillipston, Massachusetts
was originally incorporated in 1786 under the name Gerry in his honor, but was changed to its present name by a town vote in 1812.
In the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams, Gerry is depicted in the first two episodes, portrayed by Tom Beckett.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
(1813–1814), serving under James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, until his death a year and a half into his term. He was also the second Vice President not to run for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, although this was because of his death rather than being a political decision; the first was Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
.
Gerry was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
and the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
. He was one of three men who refused to sign the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
because it did not then include a Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
. Gerry later became the ninth Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
. He is known best for being the namesake of gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
, a process by which electoral districts are drawn with the aim of aiding the party in power, although its initial ‹g› has softened to dʒ from the hard ɡ of his name.
Early life
Born in Marblehead, MassachusettsMarblehead, Massachusetts
Marblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,808 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach...
, the third of twelve children, he was a graduate of Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, where he studied to be a doctor, attending there from age fourteen. He worked in his father's shipping business and came to prominence over his opposition to commerce taxes. He was elected to the General Court of the province of Massachusetts in May 1772 on an anti-British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
platform.
Career
Gerry was a Massachusetts delegate to the [Continental Congress] from February 1776 to 1780. He also served from 1783 to September 1785 and was married in 1786 to Ann Thompson, the daughter of a wealthy New York merchant, 21 years his junior. In 1787 he attended the United States Constitutional Convention and was one of the delegates voting against the new constitution (joining George MasonGeorge Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
and Edmund Randolph
Edmund Randolph
Edmund Jennings Randolph was an American attorney, the seventh Governor of Virginia, the second Secretary of State, and the first United States Attorney General.-Biography:...
in not signing it). He was elected to the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
under the new national government, and served in Congress from 1789 to 1793.
He surprised his friends by becoming a strong supporter of the new government. He so vigorously supported Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
's reports on public credit, including the assumption of state debts, and supported Hamilton's new Bank of the United States
First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States is a National Historic Landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within Independence National Historical Park.-Banking History:...
, that he was considered a leading champion by the Federalists
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
. He did not stand for re-election in 1792. He was a presidential elector for John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
in the 1796 election and was appointed by Adams to the critical delegation to France that was humiliated by the French in the XYZ Affair
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a 1798 diplomatic episode during the administration of John Adams that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1798 to 1800...
. He stayed in France after his two colleagues returned, and Federalists accused him of supporting the French. He returned in October 1798 and switched his affiliation to the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800.
He was the unsuccessful Democratic-Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts in 1800, 1801, 1802 and 1803. In 1810 he was finally elected Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
as a Democratic-Republican. He was re-elected in 1811 but defeated in 1812 over his support for the redistricting bill that created the word gerrymander. He was chosen as vice president to James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. He died in office of heart failure in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and is buried there in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
.
Legacy
Elbridge Gerry (Maine)
Elbridge Gerry was an American lawyer, who served as a U.S. Congressman from Maine from 1849 to 1851.Gerry was born on December 6, 1813 in Waterford, Maine and was a grandson of former U.S. Vice-President Elbridge Gerry...
(1813–1886), was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
; his great-grandson, Peter G. Gerry
Peter G. Gerry
Peter Goelet Gerry was an American lawyer and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island.-Early life:...
(1879–1957), was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a United States Senator from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
In 1812 the word "gerrymander" was coined when the Massachusetts legislature redrew the boundaries of state legislative districts to favor Governor Gerry's party. The governor's strategy was to encompass most of the state's Federalists, allowing them to win in that district while his party, the Democratic-Republicans, took control of all the other districts in the state. The term eventually became part of world political vocabulary, and the practice is still in use today.
Gerry was also depicted in John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence is a 12-by-18-foot oil-on-canvas painting in the United States Capitol Rotunda that depicts the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress...
. In 1976 the painting appeared on the reverse of the two dollar bill
United States two-dollar bill
The United States two-dollar bill is a current denomination of US currency. President Thomas Jefferson is featured on the obverse of the note...
and printed again in series 1995 and 2003.
The upstate New York town of Elbridge
Elbridge (town), New York
Elbridge is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Vice President of the United States, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence....
is named in his honor, as is the western New York town of Gerry
Gerry, New York
Gerry is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,054 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Vice-President of the U.S....
, in Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County, New York
-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
. The town of Phillipston, Massachusetts
Phillipston, Massachusetts
Phillipston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2010 census.- History :Phillipston was first settled in 1751, and incorporated as the town of Gerry in 1786...
was originally incorporated in 1786 under the name Gerry in his honor, but was changed to its present name by a town vote in 1812.
In the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams, Gerry is depicted in the first two episodes, portrayed by Tom Beckett.
Quotes
- "The evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy. The people do not want virtue, but are dupes of pretended patriots"
- "What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins."
See also
- U.S. Constitution, man of “original principles” in Convention
External links
- Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography
- Elbridge Gerry Page at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
- A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825
- Delegates to the Constitutional Convention: Massachusetts (Brief Biography of Gerry)
- Gerry family archive at Hartwick CollegeHartwick CollegeHartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York, in the United States. The institution was founded as Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, and is now known as Hartwick College...