Top of page

Archive: February 2017 (1 Post)

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Elbridge Gerry and the Monstrous Gerrymander

Posted by: Jennifer Davis

The first “gerrymander” was drawn on a map and signed into law on February 11, 1812. Elbridge Gerry, then governor of Massachusetts, signed into law a redistricting plan designed to keep his political party in power in the upcoming election. Upset that the Federalist Party was critical of James Madison’s foreign policy, Gerry signed the …