Video: 'Dead, White & Blue Ep. 4: Elbridge Gerry'

(Wednesday, November 23, 1814, between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. local time; during the War of 1812) — Elbridge Gerry, the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison since March 4, 1813, died today at his home in the Seven Buildings in Washington, D.C., after suffering a heart attack while visiting Joseph Nourse of the Treasury Department.

During his second term as governor of Massachusetts, the legislature approved new state senate districts that led to the coining of the word “gerrymander,” the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency.

Gerry was nominated by the Democratic-Republican party and elected as vice president in the 1812 election.

Advanced in age and in poor health, Gerry served 21 months of his term before dying in office. He was the second of seven sitting U.S. vice presidents to die of natural causes while in office (1812-1912).

Following Gerry’s death at age 70, the office of Vice-President was vacant (under President James Madison) for more than two years, until March 4, 1817, when Daniel D. Tompkins was inaugurated.