Elbridge Gerry

Written during his tenure as Governor of Massachusetts, this letter from Gerry indicates that he would like Hull and Dearborn to amend the enclosed draft with a view toward jointly selecting from each county. He stipulates that they must sign duplicate letters as the President and Speaker will require. Gerry was active in the politics of the Early Republic; he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, served two terms in Congress and as Governor of Massachusetts, and was elected Madison's Vice President for his second term in office. Gerry is also noted for his involvement in the XYZ affair which resulted when Gerry and two other delegates to France were expected to offer bribes to Talleyrand's administration. The recipient of the letter, William Hull, was serving as the appointed Governor of the Territory of Michigan; he would shortly resign this commission to defend Michigan as a Brigadier-General in the War of 1812.

Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814).
[Letter] 1811 January 15, Cambridge [to] Governor Hull and General Dearborn, Boston. / E[ldbridge].

Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/10552886

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