Título: Elbridge Gerry
Seção: United States House of Representatives
Background: Elbridge Gerry was born on July 17, 1744, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His father, Thomas Gerry, was a merchant operating ships out of Marblehead, and his mother, Elizabeth (Greenleaf) Gerry, was the daughter of a successful Boston merchant. Gerry's first name came from John Elbridge, one of his mother's ancestors. Gerry's parents had eleven children in all, although only five survived to adulthood.

Conteúdo: Anti-Federalist forces nominated Gerry for governor in 1788, but he was predictably defeated by the popular incumbent John Hancock. Following ratification, Gerry recanted his opposition to the Constitution, noting that a number of state ratifying conventions had called for amendments that he supported. He was nominated by friends (over his own opposition to the idea) for a seat in the inaugural House of Representatives, where he then served two terms.  In June 1789 Gerry proposed that Congress consider all of the proposed constitutional amendments that various state ratifying conventions had called for (notably those of Rhode Island and North Carolina, which had at the time still not ratified the constitution). In the debate that followed, he led opposition to some of the proposals, arguing that they did not go far enough in ensuring individual liberties. He successfully lobbied for inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment, and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure. He sought unsuccessfully to insert the word "expressly" into the Tenth Amendment, which might have more significantly limited the federal government's power. He was successful in efforts to severely limit the federal government's ability to control state militias. In tandem, with this protection, he had once argued against the idea of the federal government controlling a large standing army, comparing it - most memorably and mischievously - to a stand

user: What was he most known for as a House Member?

assistant: Gerry recanted his opposition to the Constitution, noting that a number of state ratifying conventions had called for amendments that he supported.

user: How long was he a representative?

assistant: where he then served two terms.

user: Where there any controversies during his time in office?

assistant: In June 1789 Gerry proposed that Congress consider all of the proposed constitutional amendments that various state ratifying conventions had called for

user: Why was this controversial?

assistant: ). In the debate that followed, he led opposition to some of the proposals, arguing that they did not go far enough in ensuring individual liberties.

user: What kind of individual liberties was he advocating for?

assistant: He successfully lobbied for inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment, and

user: any other civil liberties?

assistant: and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure.

user: Did he work with any other famous politicians at the time?

assistant: Gerry vigorously supported Alexander Hamilton's reports on public credit,

user: What did the reports on public credit entail?

assistant: including the assumption at full value of state debts, and supported Hamilton's new Bank of the United States,

user: What else did he do while he was in office?

assistant: He used the floor of the House to speak out against aristocratic and monarchical tendencies he saw as threats

user: What were some of these tendancies?

assistant: generally opposed laws and their provisions that he perceived as limiting individual and state liberties.