Elbridge Gerry Document Signed 1810 Military Appointment

Item Details

A partly printed document signed military appointment by American Revolutionary Patriot Elbridge Gerry. Massachusetts merchant and statesman Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) established himself as a prominent voice for American autonomy, and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, later serving in the US House of Representatives and elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1810. Twenty days after assuming that duty, Gerry signed this commission for Daniel Smith to serve as a Captain in the Massachusetts Militia, with an ornate flourish to the left margin. While Governor, Gerry’s unconventional, snakelike redistricting of the Massachusetts voting map lent his name to the political term ‘gerrymandering;’ in 1812 he was elected as James Madison’s Vice President, serving in that capacity until dying in office in 1814. This document is presented in a black mat along with a typewritten explanatory text, under glass in a black wooden frame with a gold-toned border and a wire hanger to the verso. Boston, June 30, 1810. DS 1 page, oblong legal folio. The piece is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from James Spence Authentication.

Provenance: ex Paul C. Richards Autographs

• The autograph(s) on this item were visually inspected by a third-party authenticator and have received a “pass” in their pass/fail visual inspection test. An Auction Letter of Authenticity (ALOA) will be mailed to the winning bidder following the sale.

Condition

- discoloration to surface of document.

Dimensions

- measures the frame; visible image dimensions: 14.5" W x 8.75" H.

Item #

18ATL034-146