Ann Thompson Gerry, the daughter of James Thompson, was born on August 12, 763. She was educated in Dublin, Ireland, while her two brothers were attending Edinburgh University in Scotland. Her brothers joined the British army but did not serve in America.
Ann was a young woman from a highly honored family in New York when she met Elbridge Gerry, the young delegate from Massachusetts at the Continental Congress. They married during the time he was a member in said Congress where he served almost continuously from 1776 until 1785. The couple was blessed with three sons and six daughters.
When Gerry returned to private life in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and introduced his young wife, she became an instant social favorite. She did not have much time to enjoy the companionship of her husband because President John Adams sent Gerry to France to smooth relations between the two countries. Upon his return he was constantly in some office serving either his state or the nation. As he served in Congress, as governor of Massachusetts, or as Vice President of the United States, Mrs. Gerry gave cheerful and graceful support to him. A biographer for her husband wrote: “She possessed considerable force of character and a dignified and gentle manner and, although an invalid, she personally superintended the education and religious training of her children and inspired them with a strong affection and reverence for herself which was evidenced by their devotion to her in her later years in New Haven” (Wives of the Signers – The women behind the Declaration of Independence, p 84).
Elbridge Gerry died suddenly on November 23, 1814, while serving in the office of Vice President and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery. Elbridge had inherited a large fortune from his father but apparently sacrificed most of it in serving the cause of liberty. Ann disposed of the beautiful family home in Cambridge after the death of her husband. She settled in New Haven where she died on March 17, 1849 and was buried in the Old Cemetery. The inscription on her tombstone reads: “Born August 23, 1783; died March 17, 1849, Ann, the widow of Elbridge Gerry, Vice-President of the U.S. His name is immortalized on the Declaration of his country’s Independence, hers in the transcendent virtues of domestic life. Both are embalmed in the veneration of their children” (Wives, 86).
The Gerry’s youngest daughter, Emily Louise, died in New Haven on December 28, 1894, as the last surviving daughter of a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Showing posts with label Elbridge Gerry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elbridge Gerry. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born on July 17, 1744, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His father was a merchant who resolved to give his son an excellent education. Elbridge completed his preparatory studies, entered Harvard College, and graduated in 1762. He entered the business world and became both rich and esteemed by fellow citizens. He was intelligent and of good character.
Elbridge watched as the oppressions by Great Britain rapidly grew and expressed his thoughts about it fearlessly. He was elected to be a member of the General Court of the province in 1773. He showed bold, energetic, and ingenious leadership while planning operations and executed them with zeal and judiciousness. He joined John Adams and others as they worked at removing Governor Hutchinson from office because he was so obnoxious. Some letters from Governor Hutchinson to the English Ministers were instead delivered to Benjamin Franklin while he was the Colonial Agent in England. Franklin sent the letters to the General Court of Massachusetts, and the Court adopted a petition to the Ministers asking that Hutchinson be removed from office.
Gerry was active in the leading political movements leading up to the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Provincial Congress when the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. In fact, the night before the battle, he slept in the same bed as General Warren. The next morning they parted ways – Gerry went to Congress and Warren was killed on the battle field.
Elbridge was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress in January 1776 and served on several committees needing his expertise in commercial business. He supported the idea of declaring the colonials as free and independent of England, and he signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
While Elbridge was serving in the Continental Congress he met and married Ann Thompson, a young woman from New York. The couple was blessed with three sons and six daughters.
Gerry was on a committee assigned to visit General George Washington at his Valley Forge headquarters. The report from the committee brought about more efficient ways to bring relief and support to the army. He retired from Congress in 1780, was re-elected in 1783, and retired again in 1785.
President John Adams appointed Gerry to be an envoy to the Court of France to smooth the relationship between the two countries. Upon his return from France he was nominated for the office of governor of Massachusetts. He lost the first time, but was elected the next time around. He served as governor of Massachusetts from 1810-1812.
While he was governor, Gerry's political opponents accused his party of creating unfair voting districts. The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill in 1812 that divided the state into districts for the election of state senators. This division grouped certain counties together in such a way that the Federalist Party won only a few seats while the Republican Party won many more seats. One of the districts was shaped like a mythical animal that some people thought looked like a salamander. Someone suggested that it was a gerrymander. The word became popular with the Federalist Party and later became part of the American language. The word is still used today to describe redistricting.
Gerry served as Vice President of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until he became ill and died on November 23, 1814 at age 70. He was buried in the Congressional Cemetery and has a nice monument erected by Congress.
Gerry inherited a large fortune from his father, but he sacrificed most of it in the cause of liberty. Mrs. Gerry disposed of the beautiful home in Cambridge after his death.
Elbridge watched as the oppressions by Great Britain rapidly grew and expressed his thoughts about it fearlessly. He was elected to be a member of the General Court of the province in 1773. He showed bold, energetic, and ingenious leadership while planning operations and executed them with zeal and judiciousness. He joined John Adams and others as they worked at removing Governor Hutchinson from office because he was so obnoxious. Some letters from Governor Hutchinson to the English Ministers were instead delivered to Benjamin Franklin while he was the Colonial Agent in England. Franklin sent the letters to the General Court of Massachusetts, and the Court adopted a petition to the Ministers asking that Hutchinson be removed from office.
Gerry was active in the leading political movements leading up to the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Provincial Congress when the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. In fact, the night before the battle, he slept in the same bed as General Warren. The next morning they parted ways – Gerry went to Congress and Warren was killed on the battle field.
Elbridge was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress in January 1776 and served on several committees needing his expertise in commercial business. He supported the idea of declaring the colonials as free and independent of England, and he signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
While Elbridge was serving in the Continental Congress he met and married Ann Thompson, a young woman from New York. The couple was blessed with three sons and six daughters.
Gerry was on a committee assigned to visit General George Washington at his Valley Forge headquarters. The report from the committee brought about more efficient ways to bring relief and support to the army. He retired from Congress in 1780, was re-elected in 1783, and retired again in 1785.
President John Adams appointed Gerry to be an envoy to the Court of France to smooth the relationship between the two countries. Upon his return from France he was nominated for the office of governor of Massachusetts. He lost the first time, but was elected the next time around. He served as governor of Massachusetts from 1810-1812.
While he was governor, Gerry's political opponents accused his party of creating unfair voting districts. The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill in 1812 that divided the state into districts for the election of state senators. This division grouped certain counties together in such a way that the Federalist Party won only a few seats while the Republican Party won many more seats. One of the districts was shaped like a mythical animal that some people thought looked like a salamander. Someone suggested that it was a gerrymander. The word became popular with the Federalist Party and later became part of the American language. The word is still used today to describe redistricting.
Gerry served as Vice President of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until he became ill and died on November 23, 1814 at age 70. He was buried in the Congressional Cemetery and has a nice monument erected by Congress.
Gerry inherited a large fortune from his father, but he sacrificed most of it in the cause of liberty. Mrs. Gerry disposed of the beautiful home in Cambridge after his death.
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