- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Elbridge Gerry
GERRY, Elbridge, statesman, born in Marblehead, Mass., 17 July, 1744; died in Washington, D.C., 23 Nov., 1814.
He was graduated at Harvard in 1762, and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was elected to the provincial legislature and became a member of the Continental Congress in 1776, where he signed the Declaration of Independence.
He was active in financial and military committees and supported the war effort. He declined to sign the Federal Constitution in 1787, fearing it gave too much power to the central government, but later supported its ratification.
He served in Congress, was elected governor of Massachusetts, and in 1813 became vice president of the United States under James Madison. His name is associated with the term “gerrymander,” from a redistricting bill passed during his governorship.
Gerry was a firm patriot, known for his independence and devotion to republican principles.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
Founders:
No files found for this document.