Did You Know? Maverick

  • Wednesday, January 19, 2022
  • Jerry Summers

With the upcoming 2022 local and national elections appearing on the horizon who knows as to where another type of candidate such as Donald J. Trump will suddenly become a longshot or viable “maverick” contender for public office.

            The term arose in the nineteenth century because of a stubborn Texas rancher, Samuel A. Maverick’s action in the cattle industry.

            Maverick thought it was cruel to brand each of his animals with his ownership insignia and refused to burn their hides even though he recognized that it was the only way to identify who owned free-range livestock.

            In an era where cattle rustling was a serious offense Maverick came up with the solution to round up any unbranded cattle that he could find even if they were not from his own herd.

            This led to the practice of calling any unbranded cow a “maverick.”

            In the rough and tumble world of politics it did not take long for the term “maverick” to grow and be adopted to apply to any politician that didn’t play by the usual rules.

            Donald Trump on the Republican side and Joe Manchin as a Democrat can both be described by use of the term.           

  (Excerpts from “The Little Book of Answers” – Author – Doug Lennox – (2003) – MFJ Books – New York, NY 1001.)
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