Elbridge+Gerry-2

**Elbrid****ge Gerry and the Constitution Convention**
Taylor DiDonato Elbridge Gerry .

Elbridge Gerry fulfilled an important role in forming America today. He was on of three people who wouldn't sign the constitution at first because it did not include the bill of rights. . The constitution convention took place in 1787 in Philadelphia at the same place where the declaration of independence was signed 11 years before. 55 delegates from several states to frame a constitution for a federal republic.
 * Introduction:**



Elbridge was born in Marblehead, MA and was the third of twelve children. Elbrdige was born on July 17, 1744 and died November 23, 1814.He was a graduate at Harvard where he studied to be a merchant. He attended Harvard since he was fourteen. He was the fifth vice president of the united states of America and on of the signers of the constitution of Independence. He was on of three people who wouldn't sign the constitution at first because it did not include the bill of rights. He worked in his father's shipping business and later got elected to the general court of province of Massachusetts. This happened in May 1772 on an anti-British platform. Elbridge was a Delegate to the continental Congress from February 1776 to 1780. Elbridge married in 1786 to Ann Thompson. Elbridge was elected to the U.S house and served in congress from 1789 to 1793. He was an unsuccessful nominee for governor for Massachusetts in 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1803.In 1810 he was finally elected. He was re-elected in 1811 but lost in 1812. He was later chosen as vice president for James Madison. Elbridge died in office due to heart failure and is buried in Washington D.C in the congressional Cemetery.
 * Backround Info:**

In 1787, he attended the Constitution Convention. However, he did not support the Constitution, and became one of the delegates to vote against it. He decided to not sign it because it did not have the Bill of Rights. He also believed that the Constitution was a threat to republicanism.
 * Role in the Constitution:**

The Constitution guarded against tyranny in four ways: federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and the number of representatives and senators in big states and small states. Federalism is the division of power between central and state governments. The state government and federal government each have different powers, which provides not one power to over rule of things. Central government and states share power, such as controlling taxes, money, court systems and making and establishing laws. Elbridge Gerry served as an Anti-Federalist in the national House of Representatives from 1789 to 1793.
 * DBQ:**

Separation of power is the Constitution distributing the power within the federal government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The powers were divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches with different jobs of the laws. The legislative branch makes the law, the executive branch carries out the law, and the Judicial branch interprets the law. Elbridge Gerry felt that the national government needs separation of powers.

Checks and balances was a system in which each of the branches of the federal government can check the actions of the other branches. The government separates the power among three branches. These branches look over one another but they cant rule over each other. Elbridge Gerry relates to checks and balances by suggesting to change Congress's power to make and declare war.

Big states and small states were determined by the number of representatives and states. The number of representatives in House of Representatives was determined by the state's population. The number of senators in the Senate only had two in each state. No one state has more than two senators.Elbridge Gerry represented Massachusetts in Congress in the House of Representatives for a period of time.



Elbridge Gerry was present for almost every meeting. However, he didnt start attending till May 29th. Elbridge was one of the moe voal members there, he spoke out at stuff he disagreed and was made sur his voice was heard.
 * **​** || **Present ** || **Absent ** || **Probably Present ** || **Probably Absent ** ||
 * **Act 1 ** || 15 || 3 || 4 || 0 ||
 * **Act 2 ** || 22 || 0 || 8 || 0 ||
 * **Act 3 ** || 18 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">4 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">0 ||
 * **<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Act 4 ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">13 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">0 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">0 ||
 * **<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Totals ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">68 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">7 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">14 || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">0 ||
 * **<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">% ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">76.4% || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">7.9% || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">15.7% || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0 % ||

Elbridge Gerry's Constitutional connection is shown on his action of not signing the Constitution. During the convention, Gerry opposed the Constitution because it did not contain the Bill of Rights. He also felt that the Constitution was a threat to Republicanism. However, he did feel a little positive about the Constitution because he felt that the amendments can relieve most of the problems of the Constitution. Later in 1789, he announced his willing to support for the Constitution and was elected to the First Congress, where he defended the Federalist policies.
 * Constitutional Connection**

Gerry was a huge supporter in the bill of rights. He refused to sign the Decleration of Idependence because it didnt include a bill of rights at first. Gerry strongly supported the first ammendment ( freedom of speech). He thought everyone should be able to speak for themselves and have thier own opinion, and not be confined to what the government tells people to do.
 * Bill of Rights**

Works Citied: "Elbridge Gerry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. <[]>. Erekson, Ole, Engraver, c1876, and Library of Congress. "Elbridge Gerry." ushistory.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. <[] "Delegates to the Constitutional Convention:Elbridge Gerry." //TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. [].

"Biography of Elbridge Gerry | Colonial Hall." //Colonial Hall: Biographies of America's Founding Fathers//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2010. <http://colonialhall.com/gerry