Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814

GERRY, ELBRIDGE, (great-grandfather of Peter Goelet Gerry), A Delegate and a Representative from Massachusetts and a Vice President of the United States; born in Marblehead, Mass., July 17, 1744; pursued classical studies and graduated from Harvard College in 1762; engaged in commercial pursuits; member, colonial house of representatives 1772-1775; Member of the Continental Congress 1776-1780 and 1783-1785; a signer of the Declaration of Independence; delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787; refused to sign the Constitution, but subsequently gave it his support; elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the First and Second Congresses (March 4, 1789-March 3, 1793); sent to France on a diplomatic mission in 1797; unsuccessful Republican candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1801 and again in 1812; Governor of Massachusetts 1810-1811; elected Vice President of the United States on the ticket with James Madison in 1812 and served from March 4, 1813, until his death in Washington, D.C., on November 23, 1814; interment in the Congressional Cemetery.

<p>Elbridge Thomas Gerry (July 17, 1744 (OS July 6, 1744) – November 23, 1814) was an American politician and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he served as the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison from March 1813 until his death in November 1814. The political practice of gerrymandering is named after Gerry.</p>

<p>Born into a wealthy merchant family, Gerry vocally opposed British colonial policy in the 1760s and was active in the early stages of organizing the resistance in the American Revolutionary War. Elected to the Second Continental Congress, Gerry signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 who refused to sign the United States Constitution because it did not then include a Bill of Rights. After its ratification he was elected to the inaugural United States Congress, where he was actively involved in drafting and passage of the Bill of Rights as an advocate of individual and state liberties.</p>

<p>Gerry was at first opposed to the idea of political parties, and cultivated enduring friendships on both sides of the political divide between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. He was a member of a diplomatic delegation to France that was treated poorly in the XYZ Affair, in which Federalists held him responsible for a breakdown in negotiations. Gerry thereafter became a Democratic-Republican, running unsuccessfully for Governor of Massachusetts several times before winning the office in 1810. During his second term, the legislature approved new state senate districts that led to the coining of the word "gerrymander"; he lost the next election, although the state senate remained Democratic-Republican. Chosen by Madison as his vice presidential candidate in 1812, Gerry was elected, but died a year and a half into his term. He is the only signer of the Declaration of Independence who is buried in Washington, DC.</p>

Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1744. His father was a prosperous business man who owned a shipping and mercantile company. After graduating from Harvard University in 1762, Gerry worked for his father's company. During the colonial period, Gerry became caught up in the anti-British fervor and served in the Massachusetts state legislature. In 1775, he was elected to the Continental Congress, and he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He served in the Continental Congress until 1780 and again from 1783 to 1785. Gerry was considered a diligent legislator but could also be contrary and impractical. In 1787, Gerry attended the Constitutional Convention. Although he had been a strong proponent of independence, he was part of the moderate bloc of the convention. However, he came to oppose the Constitution because he believed it took away too much power from the states and gave too much power to the federal government. He did not sign the Constitution although he became more supportive of it after the Bill of Rights was added. Gerry served in the House of Representatives from 1789 to 1793. He then took a break from public office until 1797 when President John Adams asked Gerry to go to France as part of a diplomatic mission. Although the mission ultimately failed, Gerry credited himself with staving off war with France. In 1810, he was elected governor of Massachusetts and served two terms. It was during his time as governor that Gerry entered the political lexicon. When he approved a controversial redistricting plan that gave Democratic-Republicans an advantage in state elections, the Federalist press noted that the districts were shaped like salamanders and dubbed the plan the Gerrymander. Still today, creating an irregularly shaped district to favor one political party is known as Gerrymandering. In April 1812, Vice President George Clinton died in office, and President James Madison was looking for a new vice president before the election. The Democratic-Republicans wanted a Northerner to balance the Virginian President, and they chose Gerry. As vice president, Gerry supported the War of 1812 and was a defender of President Madison and his administration. He died in office in November 1814.