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 "gerrymander."

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)

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