Essential Facts
- Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on July 17, 1744.
- Gerry graduated from Harvard College in 1762.
- He served in the Massachusetts Legislature and Provincial Congress.
- Gerry played significant roles in the Continental Congress.
- He opposed the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
- Gerry served as an envoy to France during the XYZ Affair.
- He was the Governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and 1811.
- Gerry is linked to the beginning of “gerrymandering” due to his redistricting efforts.
- He was Vice President of the United States, under President James Madison, from 1812 until he died in 1814.
- Gerry is the only Signer of the Declaration of Independence buried in Washington, D.C.
Significance to American History
Elbridge Gerry is important to American History because he signed the Declaration of Independence, signed the Articles of Confederation, and was the 5th Vice President of the United States. His name has been immortalized in American politics with the term “gerrymandering.”
The Life and Career of Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry was a Founding Father and helped establish the United States. Gerry was also a merchant, politician, and diplomat. Gerry served as the 5th Vice President of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until he died in 1814.
Gerry’s name is famously associated with the term “gerrymandering,” a political practice where voting districts are drawn to give one political party an advantage in elections.
He was born into a wealthy merchant family and strongly opposed British colonial policies, starting with the Stamp Act Crisis in 1765. Gerry was actively involved in organizing the Patriot Cause and resistance to British colonial policies during the American Revolution.
Gerry represented Massachusetts at the Second Continental Congress and solidified his status as a Founding Father by signing the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
In 1787, he attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia but refused to sign the Constitution because it did not include a Bill of Rights. After the Constitution was ratified, Gerry was elected to the inaugural United States Congress, where he played a role in drafting and passing the Bill of Rights, advocating for individual and state liberties.
Elbridge Gerry was nominated by the Democratic-Republican Party and elected as Vice President in the Election of 1812. Despite being advanced in age and in poor health, Gerry served 21 months of his term before dying in office.
Early Life
Elbridge Gerry’s parents were Thomas Gerry and Elizabeth Greenleaf, and he was the third of 12 children. Gerry’s mother was the daughter of a Boston merchant, while his father was a prosperous and politically active merchant who spent some time working as a sea captain.
Education and Business Career
Elbridge Gerry enrolled at Harvard College in 1758 and graduated in 1762. Afterward, he joined his father’s business, working alongside his brothers. They were primarily involved in exporting dried codfish to Barbados.
Politics and the Committees of Correspondence
Elbridge Gerry started his political career in 1770, after the Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770). He was part of a committee elected by Marlebhead to enforce a Non-Importation Agreement — trade embargo — against British merchants.
From 1772 to 1774, he served in the Massachusetts General Assembly. During this time, he fell under the influence of Samuel Adams.
Gerry was also involved with the Marblehead Committee of Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence. These committees helped coordinate local and colonial efforts against British policies.
Intolerable Acts and Coordinating Support for Boston
Following the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773), Gerry was upset over the actions of the Sons of Liberty and distanced himself from the Patriot Cause.
However, he returned to the fold after Parliament enacted the Intolerable Acts. The laws punished Massachusetts for resistance to British policies and included the Boston Port Act, which closed Boston Harbor.
With Boston closed, Marblehead became the main point of entry for shipments to Massachusetts, including shipments of food and supplies for the people of Boston.
Elbridge Gerry helped coordinate the shipments for Boston.
Massachusetts Provincial Congress and Committees
Between 1774 and 1776, Elbridge Gerry played an important role in the early stages of the American Revolution in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts elected him as a delegate to the first and second sessions of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. As a member of this congress, he worked closely with Samuel Adams and John Hancock and was a member of the Massachusetts Committee of Safety.
As a member of this committee, Gerry helped prepare the colony’s defenses for hostilities with Great Britain. This included the establishment of the New England Army of Observation.
Gerry was also the chairman of the Committee of Supplies. In his role, he used his expertise as a merchant, helping gather supplies and raise troops.
April 18, 1775
On April 18, 1775, Elbridge Gerry met at the Black Horse Tavern in Menotomy (present-day Arlington) with the members of the Committee of Safety and the Committee of Supplies.
The members of the Committee of Safety were Colonel Azor Orne, Colonel Joseph Palmer, Colonel William Heath, Colonel Thomas Gardner, Richard Devens, Abraham Watson, Captain Benjamin White, and John Pigeon, of the Committee of Safety,
The members of the Committee of Supplies were David Cheever, Colonel Charles Lee, and Colonel Benjamin Lincoln.
When the meeting concluded, most of them left to return to their homes. Richard Devens, who lived in Charlestown, returned in time to inform Paul Revere that he had seen a British Patrol on the road to Concord. Gerry also sent a message to John Hancock, who was staying in Lexington with Samuel Adams, warning him of the British movements.
Gerry, Orne, and Lee decided to spend the night at the Black Horse Tavern. Around 3:00 in the morning of April 19, they were awakened and heard the sound of the British Expedition on the road. Fearing they would be arrested, the three of them fled from the tavern and hid in a cornfield. Because it was early in the year, the corn stalks were stubble, so they had to lie on the ground to hide.
According to legend, the British searched the tavern, found nothing suspicious, and continued their march toward Concord.
When they arrived at Lexington early on the morning of April 19, they engaged the Lexington Militia, starting the American Revolutionary War. By the end of the day, the British were back in Boston but were under siege by thousands of Massachusetts Militiamen.
Joseph Warren
Elbridge Gerry and Joseph Warren were close friends. During the Siege of Boston, they were roommates. On the morning of June 17, 1775, Gerry and Warren went their separate ways. Gerry went to join the Provincial Congress at Watertown, and Warren eventually made his way to Breed’s Hill, where he joined the command of Colonel William Prescott. Unfortunately, Warren was killed during the American retreat.
Second Continental Congress
Elbridge Gerry joined the Second Continental Congress on February 9, 1776, replacing Thomas Cushing as a delegate from Massachusetts.
Declaration of Independence
Elbridge Gerry voted for independence on July 2 but was not present during the formal signing ceremony of the Declaration of Independence on August 2. After he returned to Congress, he signed the document on November 19.
Continental Army
Like many Americans, Elbridge Gerry was skeptical of standing armies but supported lengthy enlistments to ensure the army had enough men for the war effort. During the Winter of 1777–1778, he was tasked with reviewing the Continental Army, which was stationed at Valley Forge, and reviewing the military plans of General George Washington.
Although he was on friendly terms with Washington and General Thomas Conway, the relationship with Conway led him to question some of Washington’s plans and to be skeptical of the alliance with France.
Following the visit, he supported providing the soldiers with better equipment and higher pay but also raised doubts about Washington — doubts that were held by others in Congress, including John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Rush.
Soon after Gerry visited Valley Forge, Conway was accused of organizing an effort to have General Horatio Gates replace Washington as Commander-in-Chief. This incident, known as the “Conway Cabal,” created tension among Washington’s loyal officers and members of Congress.
Treasury Board and Wartime Finance
From 1776 to 1779, Elbridge Gerry helped manage finances by sitting on, and sometimes presiding over, the congressional treasury board. This board was responsible for regulating the financial matters of the Continental Congress.
Gerry also worked as a procurement agent for the Continental Army. However, he used the information he gathered in this role to benefit his business ventures.
By 1780, as financial difficulties worsened due to the ongoing war, Congress decided to revise the prices it paid to its suppliers, including Gerry. He opposed these changes, which led to a heated argument. Gerry responded by leaving Congress and returning to Massachusetts.
Although he remained a member of Congress, he did not return for three years. While he was away, he focused on trade and privateering and served in the Massachusetts General Assembly.
Return to Congress
Elbridge Gerry returned to Congress from 1783 to 1785. However, he was among those who excelled at leadership during the American Revolution but struggled with the transition to an independent United States.
Gerry had a reputation for being difficult and often alienated people due to his lack of humor. He was also known to be suspicious of other members of Congress and their motives. He was especially concerned about the use of politics and the military for tyrannical purposes.
Return to Massachusetts
In 1786, after leaving Congress, Gerry’s financial success allowed him to retire from business. He married Ann Thompson and continued his political career by taking a seat in the Massachusetts State Legislature. In 1787, he moved from Marblehead to Cambridge and purchased an estate that had been confiscated from a Loyalist. He lived on the estate for the rest of his life.
Constitutional Convention
Elbridge Gerry attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Although he did not arrive at the Convention until May 19, he presided over the committee that produced the Great Compromise, but he was outspoken and critical, leading one of the other delegates to say he “objected to everything he did not propose.”
Initially, he supported the concept of a strong central government, saying he was “fully convinced that to preserve the union, an efficient government was indispensably necessary.”
During his first day attending the Convention, the delegates decided to discuss moving on from revising the Articles of Confederation and starting to design a new United States Constitution.
Gerry was concerned with this move and questioned the legality of it. However, two days later, the Convention voted to consider the Virginia Plan, which proposed a new government.
Although Gerry supported a strong central government, he was also concerned about retaining the rights of the individual states. Because of this, he argued against the members of the Convention who wanted the national government to have the power to veto state laws. He also supported frequent elections as a way to ensure the government was not controlled by the same people year after year.
The Great Compromise
By June, Gerry led the call for a compromise over the relationship between the United States Government and the states. The Convention was deadlocked over the issue of representation in the Senate, and talks were on the verge of collapsing.
Gerry said “We must make concessions on both sides…” because if the Convention failed it would “not only disappoint America, but the rest of the world.” This led to the establishment of the committee that developed the Great Compromise, which included:
- Equal representation in the Senate, the upper house of the legislature.
- Proportional representation for the House of Representatives, the lower house.
- The House was given the power to raise revenue and appropriate the money.
The Convention debated the compromise for 10 days. Finally, on July 15, a vote was taken and the compromise narrowly passed, 5-4.
Afterward, the Convention turned its attention to defining the powers of the central government, the judiciary, and the chief executive.
On the issue of the chief executive, Gerry looked to place restrictions on it and successfully lobbied for the inclusion of an impeachment process. He also successfully argued against allowing the members of the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch to review legislation together, saying it violated the concept of the separation of powers.
By early August, a draft of the Constitution was ready for review. Gerry felt it made the central government too strong, threatening the rights of the states and the people. As the Convention deliberated the document, Gerry made nearly 80 speeches, mostly against giving the central government too much authority.
He was able to convince the Convention to give the chief executive the power to “make war,” but not “declare war.” He also helped ensure the states had control over their militias, not the central government, and that the nation’s standing army was limited to 3,000 troops.
Eventually, Gerry turned his attention to individual rights. On September 12, he motioned to include a Bill of Rights, which was seconded by George Mason of Virginia. However, the motion was rejected by the Convention.
Three days later, on September 15, Gerry, Mason, and Edmund Randolph spoke to the Convention and opposed the Constitution. Each of them called for a second convention that would create a Bill of Rights.
When the Constitution was approved without a Bill of Rights, Gerry refused to sign it. He wrote a letter to the Massachusetts legislature and said, “…it was painful for me, on a subject of such national importance, to differ from the respectable members who signed the constitution…conceiving as I did that the liberties of America were not secured by the system, it was my duty to oppose it.”
However, Gerry also said he thought the Constitution had, “…great merit, and by proper amendments, may be adapted to the ‘exigencies of Government’ and preservation of liberty.” Gerry also promised to support the Constitution if it was ratified by the states.
Massachusetts Compromise
In Massachusetts, Gerry led the movement against the ratification of the Constitution; however, he changed his stance and declared his support after Federalists agreed to add the Amendments to the Constitution that guaranteed personal rights. This agreement is known as the Massachusetts Compromise, and the Amendments became the Bill of Rights.
The First Congress
Massachusetts elected Elbridge Gerry to the House of Representatives. As a member of the First Congress, he was active and outspoken and was involved in issues related to the location of the capital and war debts (national and state). James Madison was the only member of the House who spoke more than Gerry in the first five months.
Gerry Joins the Democratic-Republicans
Elbridge Gerry left Congress for the last time in 1793, worn out by the growing political factions. He stayed retired from politics for four years and returned to his business interests.
During this time, his mistrust of the Federalists grew, particularly regarding their efforts to form an alliance with Britain.
Gerry turned away from the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and aligned with Thomas Jefferson and the pro-French Democratic-Republicans.
The XYZ Affair
In 1797, President John Adams appointed Gerry to a three-man commission tasked with negotiating with France. Gerry was the only Democratic-Republican in the group. The others, Charles C. Pinckney and John Marshall, were Federalists.
This mission was part of the XYZ Affair (1797–1798), which severely damaged Gerry’s reputation. The political scandal involved the French foreign minister, Marquis de Talleyrand, attempting to bribe the American delegates.
It started when French ships seized American ships in the Caribbean. Federalists called for President Adams and Congress to declare war on France. Adams responded by sending the commission to negotiate with France. However, Talleyrand refused to meet with them unless they met certain demands, including the payment of a substantial sum of money.
When the demands were made public in the United States, Americans were outraged. They supported the President’s plan for a military buildup, using the slogan, “Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute.”
Talleyrand eventually dropped the demand for the bribe and met with the commissioners. However, France continued to seize American ships, leading to the undeclared Quasi-War.
Talleyrand ordered Marshall and Pinckney to leave France but allowed Gerry to remain since he was a pro-French Democratic-Republican. Although Gerry refused to give in to Talleyrand’s demands, it was an embarrassing situation for President Adams.
By the time Adams recalled Gerry, Talleyrand decided he was open to negotiating with the United States. Gerry returned to the United States in October 1798 and reported this to Adams. The Convention of 1800 ended the Quasi-War and restored peaceful relations between the two nations.
Governor of Massachusetts
Between 1800 and 1803, Elbridge Gerry ran for Governor of Massachusetts, but failed, largely due to his aristocratic demeanor, which made him unpopular with the electorate. However, in 1810, he finally won the election and served as Governor until 1812.
The Origin of Gerrymandering
Towards the end of his term, the Democratic-Republicans, looking to maintain control of the State Senate, implemented a strategic redistricting measure. This redistricting created oddly shaped electoral districts designed to benefit their party.
The Federalists ridiculed this tactic, and the Boston Globe printed a political cartoon depicting his district map as a salamander. It coined the term “gerrymander,” combining Gerry’s name with “salamander.”
Vice President
In 1813, despite his advanced age and poor health, Elbridge Gerry accepted the position of Vice President in the administration of President James Madison, a Democratic-Republican.
Death and Burial
Gerry’s dedication to public service continued until the fall of 1814, when, at the age of 70, Gerry died suddenly on November 23 in his carriage on his way to preside over the Senate.
Gerry left behind his wife, who outlived him until 1849, making her the last surviving widow of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He also left three sons and four daughters.
Elbridge Gerry is buried in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
