<P> In addition to its use achieving desired electoral results for a particular party, gerrymandering may be used to help or hinder a particular demographic, such as a political, ethnic, racial, linguistic, religious, or class group, such as in U.S. federal voting district boundaries that produce a majority of constituents representative of African - American or other racial minorities, known as "majority - minority districts". Gerrymandering can also be used to protect incumbents . </P> <P> Gerrymandering should not be confused with malapportionment, whereby the number of eligible voters per elected representative can vary widely without relation to how the boundaries are drawn . Nevertheless, the - mander suffix has been applied to particular malapportionments . Sometimes political representatives use both gerrymandering and malapportionment to try to maintain power . </P> <P> The word gerrymander (originally written Gerry - mander) was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette on 26 March 1812 . The word was created in reaction to a redrawing of Massachusetts state senate election districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry (/ ˈɡɛri /; 1744--1814). In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill that redistricted Massachusetts to benefit his Democratic - Republican Party . When mapped, one of the contorted districts in the Boston area was said to resemble the shape of a mythological salamander . </P> <P> The original gerrymander, and original 1812 gerrymander cartoon, depict the Essex South state senatorial district for the legislature of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts . </P>

Who started the practice of gerrymandering back in 1812 and what state was he from
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