GERRY, ger'rl, ELDRIDGE (1744-1814). An American statesman. He was born at Marble head, Mass., July 17, 1744, the son of a mer chant. He graduated in 1762 at Harvard, where three years later he took a master's degree, and, abandoning his original intention of entering the medical profession, became a successful merchant in his native town. In May, 1772, he entered upon his long political career as a member of the General Court of Massachusetts, and here immediately identified himself with the Patriot Party, particularly as represented by Samuel Adams, with whom from this time forward he was closely associated in opposition to the arbi trary measures of the British Ministry. He was reelected in 1773; was soon afterwards ap pointed by the Legislature, with Hancock and Orne, a member of the Committee of Correspond ence; and in 1774 and 1775 was a prominent member of the Massachusetts Provincial Con gress, by which, after the battle of Lexington, he was charged with procuring a supply of gun powder for the Province, and before which late in 1775 he introduced a bill, passed on November 10th, for arming and equipping ships for aggres sive service against the British mercantile and military marine. This bill, says Gerry's biog rapher, Austin, was "the first actual avowal of offensive hostility against the mother country which is to be found in the annals of the Revo lution," and the "first effort," as well, "to es tablish an American naval armament." Samuel Adams spoke of it as "one of the boldest, most dangerous, and most important measures . . . . in the history of the New World, the commence ment of a new maritime and military power." In 1776 Gerry was elected to the Continental Congress, in which he served for the next four years, during which tithe he took an active part in securing the passage of many measures of im portance, was a member of various important committees, and in particular was conspicuous as a vigorous advocate of the Declaration of Independence, which he signed. He was also prominent as a member of three committees appointed (in September, 1776, July, 1777, and November, 1777) to visit Washington's camp on behalf of Congress, and more especially as a member of a standing committee for superintend ing the treasury, of which he was for some time chairman, and which exercised a virtual control over the finances of the country through out the Revolutionary War. He was accused, but apparently with little justice, of supporting, or at least countenancing, the Conway Cabal (q.v.) in its efforts to displace Washington; and in 1779, as head of the treasury board, came into conflict with Gen. Benedict Arnold, some of whose accounts he had refused to audit. In February, 1780, he withdrew from Congress ow ing to its refusal to record the yeas and nays on a question of order raised by him, and the Massa chusetts General Court, to which he appealed, sustained him in his position. On his return to Massachusetts he was elected a member of both the Upper and the Lower House in the first Legislature under the new State Constitution, and accepted a seat in the latter.
In 1783 he resumed his seat in the Continental Congress, which he retained for three years, dur ing which time he was a member of the commit tee appointed, in 1783, to consider the definitive treaty of peace, was chairman of each of two committees appointed to choose a suitable location for a national capital, and again took a promi nent part in the initiation and discussion of financial measures. He was also conspicuous in
1781 as an opponent of the Society of the Cincin nati. He again became a member of the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1785: declined an appointment to the Annapolis Convention (q.v.) in 1786; an4 in 1787 was sent as one of the Massachusetts delegates to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia. where he was prpmi nent as an opponent of the Constitution as finally adopted, refusing, along with Randolph and Mason, to affix his signature. His chief objections, as stated by himself, were, "that there is no ade quate provision for a representation of the peo ple; that they have no security for the right of election; that some of the powers of the Legisla ture are ambiguous and others indefinite and dan gerous; that the Executive is blended with and will have an undue influence over the Legislature; that the judicial department will be oppressive; that treaties of the highest importance may be formed by the President, with the advice of two thirds of a quorum of the Senate; and that the system is without the security of a bill of rights." After the organization of the Government he was elected one of the representatives of Massachusetts in the first and second Congresses under the Con stitution. Subsequently he remained in retirement at Cambridge until 1797, when, war with France appearing imminent, he was sent, along with Marshall and Pinckney, on an important mission to the French Directory. The envoys, unable to secure official recognition, were forced to sub mit to various indignities and humiliating re buffs, while disgraceful propositions were made to them by Talleyrand and his secret agents; and Marshall and Pinckney soon left in disgust. Gerry, however, being the only Republican on the commission, and therefore being, presumably, more favorably disposed than his colleagues toward the French Government, remained for some time longer, at the request of Talleyrand, but accomplished nothing. (See X Y Z CORRE SPONDENCE.) For thus remaining he was acri moniously attacked by the Federalists upon his return to the United States. He was several times defeated for Governor of Massachusetts, but was successful in 1810, and in 1811 was reelected. His administration was fiercely criti cised by the Federalists on the ground of its alleged partisanship, and color was given to the charge by the enactment by the Republican Legis lature of a law, which Gerry signed, but of which he seems to have disapproved, for re districting the State in such a manner as to annihilate the Federalist majorities in several counties. (See GERRYMANDER.) From 1813 un til his death he was Vice-President of the United States. He died suddenly on November 23, 1814, and in 1823 a monument was erected to his mem ory by order of Congress. He married the daugh ter of Mr. James Thompson of New York City, and left a family of three sons and six daughters. Consult Austin, Life of Elbridge Gerry, with Con temporary Letters (Boston, 1828-29).