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Rare piece of political Americana: the Gerry-Mander...
Rare piece of political Americana: the Gerry-Mander...
Item # 715496
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January 01, 1817
Terrific broadside: "Natural And Political History of THE GERRY-MANDER! In Two Chapters.....With Cuts."
* Extremely rare broadside
* Eldridge Gerry - Gerrymandering
* Essex County, Massachusetts redistricting
* Republicans & upcoming state elections
Information from dealer Barry Lawrence Ruderman notes:
"Rare political broadside featuring the first political cartoon in American history to visualize and satirize gerrymandering, one of the most enduring distortions of democratic representation.
This sheet pairs two woodcut maps with satirical letterpress text mocking the 1812 Massachusetts Senate redistricting law signed by Governor Elbridge Gerry. The new voting districts, designed to benefit Gerry’s Democratic-Republican allies, included a notorious rearrangement of Essex County, whose grotesque contours prompted observers to compare the result to a fantastical beast.
The term “Gerry-Mander” was born when a wag (possibly artist Gilbert Stuart) saw the original district map and declared it resembled a salamander infused with partisan malice. The cartoon appeared in the Boston Gazette in March 1812, and the visual trope quickly spread.
The term “Gerry-Mander” was born when a wag (possibly artist Gilbert Stuart) saw the original district map and declared it resembled a salamander infused with partisan malice. The cartoon appeared in the Boston Gazette in March 1812, and the visual trope quickly spread.
The left woodcut depicts the now-famous creature with wings, claws, and a serpent-like neck, labeling the towns it distorts (including Andover, Lynn, Salem, Marblehead, and others). To the right is a straightforward district map of Essex County showing the two senatorial districts under the new law. The surrounding text is divided into “Natural History” and “Political History.” The first, reprinted from the Gazette, invents a monstrous genealogy for the gerrymander; the second details the law’s consequences—particularly how the Democratic-Republicans expanded their Senate majority from 21–19 to 29–11 despite losing the popular vote.
More details can be found on the History's Newsstand blog.
Note: While extremely rare, another is currently being offered at $35,000.
The American Antiquarian Society tentatively dates this separate broadside printing to between 1813 and 1822, the latter date coinciding with renewed controversy around redistricting. The cartoon here is virtually identical to the original Gazette version, suggesting either reuse of the block or a careful recutting of it.
The satirical tone, typographic layout, and dual visual-and-verbal presentation make this a landmark artifact of political commentary and electoral history in the United States.
Measures 18 by 20 inches, minimal foxing, single sheet, blank on the reverse, nice condition. More details can be found on the History's Newsstand blog.
Note: While extremely rare, another is currently being offered at $35,000.
Category: Documents & Broadsides
No Longer Available
