Gerrymander

Gerrymander (third-person singular simple present Gerrymanders, present participle Gerrymandering, simple past and past participle Gerrymandered)

1. Obsolete form of gerrymander.
   • 1812 December 28, New-York Evening Post, number 3248, New York, N.Y., →OCLC, page [3], column 1:

     The latter attempted (at June Session) to provide for the appointment of Madisonian Electors by the Legislature; they attempted also to Gerrymander the State for the choice of Representatives to Congress; […]

   • 1813 April 8, Boston Gazette, Boston, Mass., →OCLC; quoted in “Gerrymander, v.”, in C[harles] T[albut] Onions, William Craigie, editors, The Oxford English Dictionary […] Supplement and Bibliography, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press; Humphrey Milford, […], 1933, →OCLC, page 412, column 2:

     When a man has been swindled out of his rights by a villain, he says he has been Gerrymandered.

   • 1850 November 12, Quincy Whig, Quincy, Ill., published 1956 (3rd impression), →OCLC, page 2, column 3; quoted in “Gerryamnder ˈgɛrɪˌmændɚ, v.”, in Mitford M[cLeod] Mathews, editor, A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles, Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 1951, →OCLC, page 692, column 2:

     Col. Singleton is the first Whig Representative ever sent to the Legislature since the district was Gerrymandered for party purposes.

   • 1872 March 31, Sunday Mercury, New York, N.Y., →OCLC; quoted in “Gerryma·ndering, vbl. sb.”, in James A[ugustus] H[enry] Murray [et al.], editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, 1884–1928, →OCLC, page 134, column 2:

     The Legislature of Ohio intends to prove itself a veritable master in the Gerrymandering business.

Gerrymander (plural Gerrymanders)

1. Obsolete form of gerrymander.
   • 1812 May 23, Columbian Centinel, Boston, Mass., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2, column 3; quoted in “+Gerrymander, n.”, in William A[lexander] Craigie, James R[oot] Hulbert, editors, A Dictionary of American English on Historical Principles, volume II (Corn pit–Honk), Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, June 1940, →OCLC, page 1114, column 2:

     The sensibility of the good people of Massachusetts is at present too much awakened to this ‘Gerrymander’ to require [etc.].

   • 1812 October 24, “Electors of President”, in New-York Evening Post, number 3194, New York, N.Y., →OCLC, page [2], column 5:

     The Senate proposed an election by Congressional or Gerrymander districts, which was refused by the house, as a novel as well as unfair mode of election; […]

   • 1812 October 27, “Choice of Electors, &c.”, in Franklin Herald, volume II, number 90, Greenfield, Mass., →ISSN, →OCLC, page [2], column 2:

     A bill to repeal the Law for Diſtricting the State for the Choice for Senators, and Repreſentatives to Congreſs [commonly called the Gerrymander diſtricts law] paſſed to be engroſſed.

   • 1812 November 12, Salem Gazette, “The Voice of Massachusetts Is for Peace”, in Alexandria Gazette, Commercial and Political, volume XII, number 3798, Alexandria, Va.: S. Snowden & J. D. Simms, →ISSN, →OCLC, page [3], column 4:

     We published our last paper under uncommon sensations of pleasure, on account of the triumph of the Friends of Peace and good principles in this Gerrymander district, formed by their opponents while they possessed the legislative power of the state, with a view to secure themselves in the senate, and control the Congressional election.

   • 1812 November 23, Boston Gazette, Boston, Mass., →OCLC; quoted in “Gerrymander, sb.”, in C[harles] T[albut] Onions, William Craigie, editors, The Oxford English Dictionary […] Supplement and Bibliography, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press; Humphrey Milford, […], 1933, →OCLC, page 412, column 2:

     Some returns from democratic towns are not made conformable to the Gerrymander law of last February.

   • 1812 December 29, Connecticut Courant, volume XLVIII, number 2501, Hartford, Conn.: Hudson & Goodwin, →OCLC, page [3], column 4:

     Ontario County.—We have all the returns from this county, federal majority one thousand and thirty-four—It is part of a Gerrymander district, but the federal candidates we have no doubt are chosen.

   • 1816 December 20, The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States; […], Washington, D.C.: […] Gales and Seaton, published 1854, →OCLC, columns 353–354:

     Gentlemen have surely heard of the Senatorial districts of Massachusetts; […] They were called Gerrymanders, from the name of the gentleman who was then at the head of the faction which produced the shapeless brood.

   • 1838 May 18, New York Commercial, quotee, “Effectively at Work”, in Daily Republican Banner, volume XXVI, number 1989, Nashville, Tenn.: S. Nye & A. A. Hall, →OCLC, page [2], column 2:

     It is also proposed to amend the law by which the agrarians cut the State into Gerrymander districts for members of Congress.

   • 1842 September 29, Memphis Enquirer, quotee, edited by R. E. Hammet, Vicksburg Tri-Weekly Whig, volume IV, number 163, Vicksburg, Miss., →ISSN, →OCLC, page [2], column 3:

     What authority has the ‘Appeal’ for saying that the Gerrymander district in Ohio is a “whig made district of ten years standing?”

   • 1842 October 25, Franklin Democrat, quotee, edited by Robert Josselyn, The Guard, volume I, number 41, Holly Springs, Mich., →ISSN, →OCLC, front page, column 5:

     To accomplish this Gerrymander the districts in Massachusetts are laid off in such a form as to make the Ohio Districts perfect beauties with them—one of the Massachusetts districts is said to have thirty-nine angles and curves on its boundary line.