Elbridge who? How the name of a forgotten founder lives on in the word ‘gerrymander’

A portrait of Gov. Elbridge Gerry hangs in a hallway at the State House in Boston. In 1812, Gerry drew up a redistricting plan to protect his cronies — leading to the word

Elbridge Gerry was an important early figure in the American Revolution, but his decision to approve a “gerrymandered” state legislative map inadvertently won him lasting infamy.

(Image credit: Ronaldo Schemidt)