TIL: The origin of "gerrymander"
Today I Learned:
"Gerrymander" is a portmanteau of (Governor Elbridge) Gerry and "salamander"; coined in 1812 because of the salamander-like shape of a district in Massachuetts drawn to Gerry's advantage. The shape was likened to a salamander by artist Gilbert Stuart, while newspapers of the time printed pictures where the district's shape was akin to a monster, labeling it as such and referencing terms like Basalisk and hippogryph.
The redistricting tactic was not new. It had appeared earlier in England, and the first known instance in America occurred as early as the 1700s. In 1812 Massachusetts, legislators redistricted in order to concentrate Federalist votes in fewer districts, and Governor Gerry signed the bill into law, albeit reluctantly. The signing of the redistricting bill into law was impactful, but the House and the Governor's seat still went to the Federalists.
"Hatched 1812. Died 1813." quips one source referencing the "monster" that had been created.:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/4297805/Screen_Shot_2014-04-14_at_11.50.17_AM.png
)
Gerry, pronounced with a hard G as in "Go" unlike the namesake political term, was subsequently a US Vice President, the second to die in office. He served under President James Madison beginning in 1813, and died after falling ill in November 1814.
Sources:
https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/gerrymander-born-in-massachusetts.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbridge_Gerry
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/5/17991968/gerrymandering-name-elbridge-gerryhttps://blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/02/elbridge-gerry-and-the-monstrous-gerrymander/
I think I saw this word in Remlaps article, and I had to look it up because it was my first of coming across it. Thanks for a more detail explanantion of the word.
Yes, I saw the term origin in the article @remlaps shared, and I went looking for more info!
h/t @remlaps
Lots of interesting little facts that I didn't know in this post. "Gerry" with a hard-G, and he went on to become vice president. Also that the practice existed for a century before it received a name.
I don't think I've ever heard "Gerry" pronounced with a hard G before, but now I'm guessing that "Gerry" and "Gary" come from the same root.
Also, he might not have been very good at what he did (by some accounts at least). He effed things up with France at one point, confused his constituents with apparently conflicting principles guiding his position on various political or social topics.
Evidently, he was hesitant to sign the bill that became his legacy, he refused to sign the constitution because it did not enumerate individual rights (hadn't yet included a bill of rights), and took a hard stand against slavery. Maybe he was just an opportunist, or he had the good fortune of family connections or whatnot?
In any case I'm sure there are other things he could have been remembered for were it not for a stunning and memorable critique in a newspaper with a clever take on current events.
I wonder if it's more common across the pond...
I was thinking the same thing. Could be last name vs. first name, too. Hard or soft "G", I don't think I've known anyone with "Gerry" as a last name.