[Massachusetts]:

$400 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. IN SENATE, OCTOBER 21, 1812. A RESOLVE FOR DISTRICTING THE COMMONWEALTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHOOSING ELECTORS OF PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT [caption ... Broadside denoting the division of six districts in Massachusetts for the purpose of selecting electors for the presidential election of 1812. The six districts, divided by county, had a total of twenty-two electors - presumably broken down by population density. The broadside goes on to make provision for the day and means of voting for the electors, and the method of counting the votes - which is to be done in an open town hall meeting. The bill was read and passed through the state congress on Oct. 22, 1812. This broadside is particularly interesting in light of a similar bill which was signed by Gov. Elbridge Gerry earlier the same year, in which he apportioned the districts in such a way as to maintain his party's political power in the state senate, giving rise to the term gerrymandering. The presidential election of 1812 would, in fact, see Gerry elected vice president.

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