Isabella Carter
Elbridge Gerry was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and diplomat who served as the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until his death in 1814. He is best known for being the force and namesake behind the term gerrymandering, a political practice of creating an irregularly shaped district to favor one political party. Gerry was one of three delegates who voted against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, citing concerns over the rights of private citizens and the power of the federal government. Despite his refusal to sign the Constitution, Gerry supported it after its ratification and helped draft the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 17 July 1744 |
| Birthplace | Marblehead, Massachusetts |
| Father's Profession | Merchant |
| Education | Harvard College |
| Political Training | Samuel Adams |
| Political Affiliations | Anti-British, Democratic-Republican Party |
| Political Service | Continental Congress (1775/6–1780, 1783–1785), Vice President of the United States (1812/1813–1814) |
| Signatory | Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation |
| Refused to Sign | United States Constitution |
| Reason for Refusal | Lack of a Bill of Rights, concerns over individual liberties and states' rights |
| Gerrymandering | Coined term for controversial redistricting |
| Death | 23 November 1814 |
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What You'll Learn
Elbridge Gerry's opposition to the Constitution
Elbridge Gerry is best remembered for his refusal to sign the United States Constitution, a decision that stemmed from his opposition to the concentration of power and his advocacy for individual liberties. Gerry's education at Harvard in the 1760s exposed him to the English radical Whig "country-opposition" tradition, which influenced his anti-centralization ideology. This, coupled with his experience resisting British rule during the American Revolutionary War, shaped his political outlook.
Gerry was one of three delegates who voted against the proposed constitution at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, alongside George Mason and Edmund Randolph. He objected to the lack of specific individual liberties enumerated in the document and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government. Gerry's refusal to sign was also influenced by concerns over the rights of private citizens and the power of the legislature to raise armies and revenue. He believed that the convention lacked the authority to make such significant changes to the nation's system of government.
Gerry's opposition to the Constitution extended beyond the convention. He published a widely circulated letter outlining his objections and continued to advocate for amendments during the ratification debates. Despite his initial opposition, Gerry eventually recanted and supported the Constitution after its ratification, acknowledging that other state ratifying conventions had called for amendments that aligned with his own views.
Gerry played a significant role in the Constitutional Convention, consistently advocating for a clear delineation between state and federal government powers. He opposed the popular election of representatives and supported checks on government power to protect individual liberties. Gerry's contributions to the debate helped shape the final document, and he went on to serve in the inaugural United States Congress, where he actively participated in drafting and passing the Bill of Rights.
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Gerry's role in the XYZ Affair
Elbridge Gerry is remembered for his refusal to sign the United States Constitution and his role in the XYZ Affair, which was a diplomatic episode involving a confrontation between the United States and Republican France. The incident led to a quasi-war between the two nations.
In 1797, Gerry was chosen by President John Adams to join a diplomatic delegation to France, along with Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and John Marshall. The delegation's goal was to negotiate a solution to mounting problems that threatened to break out into war. However, shortly after their arrival, the delegation was approached by three French agents, later identified as "X," "Y," and "Z," who demanded substantial bribes before negotiations could continue. The commissioners refused and sought to engage Foreign Minister Talleyrand in formal negotiations.
Talleyrand froze out Pinckney and Marshall from the informal negotiations, leaving Gerry as the sole remaining commissioner. Gerry, seeking to avoid all-out war, remained in France for several months after the other commissioners left. He engaged in exchanges with Talleyrand, which laid the groundwork for the eventual end of diplomatic affairs and military hostilities.
Upon his return to the United States, Gerry faced criticism from Federalists, who blamed him for the breakdown of negotiations. These partisan attacks turned Gerry against the Federalists, and he eventually joined the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800. The XYZ Affair marked a significant turning point in Gerry's political career and contributed to his decision to shift party affiliations.
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His time as Vice President
Elbridge Gerry served as the fifth vice president of the United States from 1813 until his death in 1814. He was elected in 1812 on the Jeffersonian Republican ticket with James Madison, who was then serving his second term as president.
Gerry was born on July 17, 1744, in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard College in 1762. He was a member of the Massachusetts legislature and General Court from 1772 to 1773 and served on a Committee of Correspondence. He also served in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1780 and from 1783 to 1785, where he signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but refused to sign the Constitution because it did not include a Bill of Rights.
During his time as vice president, Gerry's duties included advancing the administration's agenda in Congress and dispensing patronage positions in New England. He was an ardent supporter of the War of 1812 and expressed concerns over a possible Federalist seizure of Fort Adams (then known as Boston's Fort Independence). In 1813, while presiding over the Senate, Gerry, who was in ill health, refused to yield his chair at the close of the legislative session, preventing William Giles, a senator from Virginia and an advocate of peace with Britain, from becoming president pro tempore of the Senate and thus second in line to succeed the president.
Gerry also played a role in the XYZ Affair, a diplomatic mission to France in 1797 during John Adams' presidency. Along with John Marshall and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Gerry attempted to negotiate a treaty to settle long-standing disputes, but the mission ended early due to the French foreign minister's duplicitous treatment of the American negotiators. Gerry remained in Paris, hoping for better terms, but this brought censure from Federalist partisans.
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His role in the Constitutional Convention
Elbridge Gerry was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and diplomat. He was born in 1744 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and received his academic training at Harvard. Gerry was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but refused to sign the Constitution. He believed that the Constitution took away too much power from the states and gave too much power to the federal government. Gerry was concerned about the lack of protection for individual liberties in the proposed Constitution and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government.
During the Constitutional Convention, Gerry was one of the most active speakers, making 78 speeches during the final six weeks of the Convention. He consistently pushed for the "Great Compromise" over the representation issue central to the early debates. Gerry also had a real influence on the structure of the presidency. He favoured a single, independent president but worried about how the president would be selected. He did not trust the people to make the right choice in a direct election and thought that giving the legislature the choice would only lead to corruption.
Gerry also advanced numerous proposals for indirect elections of the President of the United States, most of them involving limiting the right to vote to state governors and electors. He was unhappy about the lack of enumeration of specific individual liberties in the proposed Constitution and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure. He also sought to include the word "expressly" in the Tenth Amendment to limit the federal government's power.
Gerry's role in the Constitutional Convention had a significant impact on the document it eventually produced. He is generally remembered for his refusal to sign the Constitution and for his role in the XYZ Affair. He later became more supportive of the Constitution after the Bill of Rights was added and helped draft it. He also served as vice president under James Madison from 1813 until his death in 1814.
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His refusal to sign the Constitution
Elbridge Gerry was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but refused to sign the Constitution. Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution stemmed from his concerns about the centralization of power in the federal government and the lack of protection for individual liberties. He believed that the Constitution took away too much power from the states and gave too much power to the federal government. Gerry wanted to ensure that individual liberties were protected and proposed that Congress consider all the proposed constitutional amendments that various state ratifying conventions had called for. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and played a key role in shaping the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Gerry's refusal to sign was also influenced by his suspicion of a strong national government. As an "Old Whig," he feared that a powerful central government would threaten the existence of state governments. He consistently pushed for a “Great Compromise” over the representation issue, wanting to ensure that the states maintained a degree of autonomy. Gerry's concerns about the balance of power between the federal government and the states were not limited to domestic policy. He also opposed the idea of a large standing army controlled by the federal government, arguing that it posed a threat to the liberties of private citizens.
In addition to his concerns about centralized power and individual liberties, Gerry had specific objections to certain provisions in the Constitution. He was opposed to the popular vote, the three-fifths compromise, and slavery. He also disagreed with the Electoral College and Congressional election processes, proposing instead that state executives choose the president. Gerry advocated for impeachment provisions and helped reject an absolute presidential veto power. He wanted to ensure that the president was accountable and that the legislative and executive branches had a system of checks and balances.
Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution had a significant impact on its eventual shape. He became more supportive of the document after the Bill of Rights was added, and he played an active role in drafting and advocating for its inclusion. His influence extended beyond the Bill of Rights, as he also had a hand in shaping the Constitutional structure of the presidency. Gerry's contributions to the debate over the role and powers of the federal government were significant, and he is remembered as a Founding Father who helped shape the course of American history.
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Frequently asked questions
No, he refused to sign the Constitution because it did not include a Bill of Rights.
Gerry was concerned about the convention's lack of authority to enact such major changes to the nation's system of government and the lack of protection for individual rights. He also believed that it took too much power from the states and gave too much to the federal government.
Yes, Gerry became more supportive of the Constitution after the Bill of Rights was added, and he was later involved in drafting it.
Gerry is also known for being a Founding Father, a merchant, a diplomat, and the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison. He is also the namesake of the term "gerrymandering".
Gerry pushed for impeachment provisions and helped reject an absolute presidential veto power. He also favored a single, independent president but was concerned about how they would be selected.
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