Dear John,

Representation was a primary element of the founding of this country. Inclusive representation is an ideal we constantly strive to maintain. One aid or roadblock to inclusive representation can be the concept of gerrymandering. 

The theory that our elected officials should represent our interests is one of our country's Founding principles. Inclusive representation is an ideal we constantly strive to achieve. The topic of gerrymandering, or the altering of political district lines to gain an advantage in elections, raises important constitutional questions about the nature of representation. Gerrymandering, Representation, and the Consent of the Governed e-lesson  utilizes utilizes a famous primary source cartoon from 1812 to analyze if gerrymandering aligns with the founding principle of representation and consent of the governed.

We encourge you to pair this e-lesson with one or more primary sources from the Plainest Demands of Justice: Documents for Dialogue on the African American Experience resource. 

As you and your students explore the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Jim Crow eras with your students, our Plainest Demands of Justice resource can help you facilitate conversations around ideas of race, equality, and civil rights. This primary source-based resource includes seven lessons that will help you and your students more deeply engage with these issues, central to understanding this critical period of our nation's history in the 19th century.  

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