Elbridge Gerry and the gerrymander

Elbridge Gerry

1744-1814

My county is currently undergoing redistricting which means we are hearing the usual accusations of gerrymandering – the art of drawing electoral districts to optimize your own political power while minimizing that of your opponent.  Studying the proposed redistricting maps, it’s easy to see how the five Republican incumbents have insured that the Democratic votes of the county are divided amongst their five districts, thus making Democrats a minority in all of them.  Gerrymandering is an old, old practice in politics.  But where does that funny name come from?  It’s a portmanteau of the name ‘Gerry’ and the word ‘salamander’.   I’ll get back to the salamander - but first, who is Elbridge Gerry and what did he do to deserve such an unflattering homage?  For the 4^th of July, here is a portrait of one of America’s lesser-known founding fathers:  father of the Bill of Rights … and the gerrymander.

John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
Elbridge Gerry is sitting behind the table, leaning forward with
his left hand under his chin.

Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts on July 17, 1744, one of eleven children.  He attended Harvard College then returned home to work in his father’s shipping business.  He rose to public service as an outspoken opponent to British commerce taxation.  Gerry was elected to the Massachusetts legislature in 1772 and the Continental Congress in 1776 where he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  His dogged efforts to garner support for independence during the summer of 1776 were praised by John Adams who said "If every Man here was a Gerry, the Liberties of America would be safe against the Gates of Earth and Hell."   While he considered signed the Declaration the single greatest act of his life, his efforts at the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787 had even greater impact on the ultimate shape of the U.S. government.  Gerry was instrumental in brokering the ‘great compromise’ which provided for equal representation of the states in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.  Worried that too much power was going to the elite, he proposed the inclusion of a list of protections for the rights of individuals.  Dispirited by the rejection of this proposal, he was one of three delegates to vote against the new constitution.  Nonetheless, from 1788 to 1793, Gerry served in the U.S. House of Representatives during the First and Second Congresses where his idea ultimately prevailed in the passage of ten amendments to the new constitution that we know as the Bill of Rights.

The Gerrymander
Boston Gazette, March  26, 1912

In 1797, President John Adams sent Gerry and two other diplomats to France in an effort to ease growing tensions between the two countries.  The French asked for a tribute, a loan, a bribe and an apology from Adams before peace negotiations could commence.  Humiliated, the other two-thirds of the U.S. delegation returned home empty-handed while Gerry stayed behind trying to negotiate a truce.  Though French ships continued to attack American ships for another two years, Gerry his efforts may have averted all-out war with the French.  Gerry returned home to find he had been labeled as a French sympathizer by the Federalists.  Gerry switched his political affiliation to the Democratic-Republican Party and made four unsuccessfully runs for Governor of Massachusetts.  He was finally elected governor in 1810 and was re-elected in 1811.  However, in 1812, Governor Gerry signed a redistricting bill that severely weakened his Federalist opponents.  One district in the Boston area was so contorted that it looked like a salamander.  The Boston Gazette published a cartoon of the district and the ‘Gerrymander’ was soon the talk of the town.  Damaged by the resulting controversy, Gerry lost the next election.  

When Vice President George Clinton died in office, President James Madison asked Gerry to be his running mate in the 1812 presidential election.  Madison was re-elected and Gerry became the sixth Vice President of the U.S.  It was a turbulent time to be presiding over the House as the British invaded Washington D.C. and burned most of the public buildings.  Acrimonious debate and a busy social schedule wore at the aging Gerry.  On November 22, 1814, he went to work with chest pains, decided he was in no condition to preside over the House, and returned to his home.  He died later that day, only a year and a half into his term.  He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery.

Despite his participation in every major event in the formation of our country, the legacy of this great American statesman, diplomat, champion of the Bill of Rights, and Vice President is a disparaging word to describe an egregious political practice that circumvents democracy. To add injury to insult, we don’t even pronounce it correctly.  Elbridge Gerry is pronounced with a hard-G (as in guy) whereas the common pronunciation of gerrymander is with a soft G (as in gin).  He deserves a better legacy than that.  Happy Independence Day, Elbridge Gerry.

Question of the Day: Describe an example of gerrymandering in your country, state or municipality.