Editing Elbridge Gerry (section)

==Governor of Massachusetts==
[[File:The Gerry-Mander Edit.png|thumb|The word "[[Gerrymandering|gerrymander]]", originally written as "Gerry-mander", was used for the first time in the ''Boston Gazette'' on March 26, 1812.<ref name="Griffith 1907 72–73">Griffith, pp. 72–73</ref> Appearing with the term, and helping spread and sustain its popularity, was this political cartoon, which depicts a state senate district in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] as a strange animal with claws, wings, and a dragon-type head, satirizing the district's odd shape.]]

For years (in the [[1800 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1800]], [[1801 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1801]], [[1802 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1802]], and [[1803 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1803 elections]]) Gerry unsuccessfully sought the governorship of Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Biography of Elbridge Gerry 1744–1814; American History – From Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond |url=http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/elbridge-gerry |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818140523/http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/elbridge-gerry |archive-date=August 18, 2019 |access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> His opponent in these races, [[Caleb Strong]], was a popular moderate Federalist, whose party dominated the state's politics despite a national shift toward the Republicans.<ref>Buel, pp. 39–44</ref> In 1803, Republicans in the state were divided, and Gerry only had regional support of the party.  He decided not to run in the [[1804 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1804 election]], returning to semi-retirement<ref>Billias, pp. 304–305</ref> and to deal with a personal financial crisis.  His brother Samuel Russell had mismanaged his own business affairs, and Gerry had propped him up by [[Loan guarantee|guaranteeing a loan]] that was due.  The matter ultimately ruined Gerry's finances for his remaining years.<ref>Billias, pp. 305–06</ref>

Republican [[James Sullivan (governor)|James Sullivan]] won the governor's seat from Strong in the [[1807 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1807 election]], but his successor was unable to hold the seat in the [[1809 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1809 election]], which went to Federalist [[Christopher Gore]].<ref>Buel, pp. 73–82, 103–04</ref> Gerry stood for election again in the [[1810 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1810 election]] against Gore and won a narrow victory. Republicans cast Gore as an ostentatious British-loving [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]] who wanted to restore the monarchy (his parents were [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] during the Revolution), and Gerry as a patriotic American, while Federalists described Gerry as a "French partizan" and Gore as an honest man devoted to ridding the government of foreign influence.<ref>Billias, p. 313</ref> A temporary lessening in the threat of war with Britain aided Gerry.<ref>Buel, pp. 104–07</ref> The two [[1811 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|battled again in 1811]], with Gerry once again victorious in a highly acrimonious campaign.<ref>Buel, pp. 116–17</ref><ref>Formisano, p. 74</ref>

Gerry's first year as governor was less controversial than his second, because the Federalists controlled the state senate.  He preached moderation in the political discourse, noting that it was important that the nation present a unified front in its dealings with foreign powers.<ref>Buel, pp. 107–08</ref> In his second term, with full Republican control of the legislature, he became notably more partisan, purging much of the state government of Federalist appointees. The legislature also enacted "reforms" of the court system that resulted in an increase in the number of judicial appointments, which Gerry filled with Republican partisans. However, infighting within the party and a shortage of qualified candidates played against Gerry, and the Federalists scored points by complaining vocally about the partisan nature of the reforms.<ref>Buel, pp. 144–47</ref>

Other legislation passed during Gerry's second year included a bill broadening the membership of [[Harvard Board of Overseers|Harvard's Board of Overseers]] to diversify its religious membership, and another that liberalized religious taxes.  The Harvard bill had significant political slant because the recent split between orthodox [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]] and [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]] also divided the state to some extent along party lines, and Federalist Unitarians had recently gained control over the Harvard board.<ref>Formisano, p. 76</ref>

In 1812, the state adopted new constitutionally mandated electoral district boundaries.  The Republican-controlled legislature had created district boundaries designed to enhance their party's control over state and national offices, leading to some oddly shaped legislative districts.<ref name="Hart_3_458">Hart, p. 3:458</ref> Although Gerry was unhappy about the highly partisan districting (according to his son-in-law, he thought it "highly disagreeable"), he signed the legislation.  The shape of one of the state senate districts in [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]] was compared to a [[Salamanders in folklore|salamander]]<ref>Chisholm, p. 904</ref> by a local Federalist newspaper in a political cartoon, calling it a "Gerry-mander".<ref>Billias, p. 317</ref> Ever since, the creation of such districts has been called [[gerrymandering]].{{efn|"Gerrymandering" is a process by which electoral districts are drawn with the aim of aiding the party in power, although the pronunciation of the initial "g" has softened to {{IPAslink|dʒ}} rather than the hard {{IPAslink|ɡ}} of his name.<ref>Elster, p. 224</ref><ref name="WSJ">[https://www.wsj.com/video/gerrymandering-youre-saying-it-wrong/090A5D97-4928-4A08-A800-8305465AC5F5.html "Gerrymandering: You're Saying It Wrong!"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506203239/https://www.wsj.com/video/gerrymandering-youre-saying-it-wrong/090A5D97-4928-4A08-A800-8305465AC5F5.html |date=May 6, 2021}}, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' (May 24, 2018).</ref>}}<ref name="Hart_3_458" />

Gerry also engaged in partisan investigations of potential libel against him by elements of the Federalist press, further damaging his popularity with moderates.  The redistricting controversy, along with the libel investigation and the impending [[War of 1812]], contributed to Gerry's defeat in 1812 (once again at the hands of Caleb Strong, whom the Federalists had brought out of retirement).<ref>Buel, pp. 148–49</ref><ref name="Billias, p. 323">Billias, p. 323</ref> The gerrymandering of the state Senate was a notable success in the 1812 election: the body was thoroughly dominated by Republicans, even though the house and the governor's seat [[1812 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|went to Federalists by substantial margins]].<ref name="Griffith 1907 72–73" />