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Gerrymandering was named after Elbridge Gerry. Gerry was Governor of Massachusetts at the time, and he was in the middle of an effort of purging Federalists from positions of power in the state. The districts that he drew to maximize his own party's chances were said to resemble salamanders, giving rise to the word gerrymander. Gerry lost his re-election bid, but his work for his party was rewarded by President James Madison, who named Gerry as Vice President when Madison's first VP, George Clinton, passed away. Gerry would die in office two years later.

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16y ago

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