The US Supreme Court recently ruled that it
has no authority to decide cases that challenge partisan
gerrymandering, a practice in which political parties draw
Congressional districts to increase votes in their favor.
By redrawing the borders of electoral districts, members of a
given political party can cram the opposition’s supporters into
as few precincts as possible, thus grabbing a disproportionate
amount of power.
The tactic gets its name after a one-time vice president.
Elbridge Gerry was born on July 17, 1744. He was a native of
Marblehead, Massachusetts.
In 1787, with the war over, Gerry took part in the
Constitutional Convention and was the person who moved to
include a Bill of Rights.
Early in 1812, Democratic-Republican legislators laid out new
districts which shoehorned most Federalist Party supporters into
a handful of precincts. Due to this redesign of maps, Federalist
candidates for the state Senate earned 1602 more votes than
their Jeffersonian opponents did. Yet, because of these new
precincts, the Democratic-Republican Party nabbed 29 seats to
the Federalist’s 11.
Districts now came in all manner of irregular shapes.
Particularly infamous was one such division in Essex County.
This squiggly precinct looked like a mythical salamander. Thus,
the name “Gerrymander” was born.
Showing posts with label Gerrymandering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerrymandering. Show all posts
Jul 12, 2019
Mar 1, 2019
More Items Named After Real People
The Bowler hat (also Derby hat) was
created by Thomas and William Bowler. This was so the high top
hats of the Earl of Derby’s gamekeepers would not be hit by
branches while on horseback. This was also said to be a
compromise between social classes’ top hat and flat cap. Incidentally,
Dick Van Dyke inherited Stan Laurel’s bowler hat in 1965.
The term ‘Gerrymandering’ was derived from Gerry Elbridge, the governor of Massachusetts and salamander from an outline of a newly-defined district map. The outlined shape of a dragon in the form of a map pertains to a cartoon in the Boston Gazette in 1812. This awkward location that creates unusual shapes is suitable for voters in certain districts for political advancement.
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1840; unfortunately, he was unsuccessful with the instrument. Luckily, a century later, the sax became popular with jazz musicians.
Jean Nicot de Villemain, a French ambassador who learned about tobacco on his trip Portugal. When he went home, he brought snuff, leaves, and seed with him and presented it to the royal court of France in the 1560s. The plant became a hit and so Jean was commemorated by having the plant named after him - nicotine. Only in succeeding centuries did nicotine come to mean chemical inside the tobacco plant.
Bloomers were named after Amelia Bloomer, a women’s rights supporter. She did not make the garments, but her efforts embodied her appearance of women.
The term ‘Gerrymandering’ was derived from Gerry Elbridge, the governor of Massachusetts and salamander from an outline of a newly-defined district map. The outlined shape of a dragon in the form of a map pertains to a cartoon in the Boston Gazette in 1812. This awkward location that creates unusual shapes is suitable for voters in certain districts for political advancement.
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1840; unfortunately, he was unsuccessful with the instrument. Luckily, a century later, the sax became popular with jazz musicians.
Jean Nicot de Villemain, a French ambassador who learned about tobacco on his trip Portugal. When he went home, he brought snuff, leaves, and seed with him and presented it to the royal court of France in the 1560s. The plant became a hit and so Jean was commemorated by having the plant named after him - nicotine. Only in succeeding centuries did nicotine come to mean chemical inside the tobacco plant.
Bloomers were named after Amelia Bloomer, a women’s rights supporter. She did not make the garments, but her efforts embodied her appearance of women.
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