The turbulent times between 2016 and the present partisan party politics between Democrats and Republicans immediately brings a hue and cry of “maverick” to be applied to any member of Congress that does not adhere to their respective party position.
In the nineteenth century the term “maverick” had nothing to do with the crazy political arena of today.
Samuel A. Maverick was a stubborn Texas cattle rancher who refused to brand his herd because he thought it was cruel to his bovines to place a red-hot iron upon their hides.
He could not be convinced that it was the only way to identify the ownership of free-range livestock so he just rounded up all cattle that he could find that did not have a brand even though they were not from his herd.
Any stray unbranded cow was called a “maverick”, but the word has evolved to mean anyone who doesn’t play by the political rules!
(Excerpts from “The Little Book of Answers” – Author – Doug Lennox – (2003) – MJF Books – New York, NY 1001.