John Hancock and his signature are two of the best-known elements related to the Declaration of Independence. But how much do you know about the former president of the Continental Congress? On May 24,Hancock was named as the presiding officer over the Hanxock Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia to discuss the military threat posed by the British. A little more than a year later, Hancock was the first to sign the document declaring independence. Hancock was a wealthy guy. He was from Massachusetts and his family had money, which he inherited when his uncle died. In fact, Hancock may have been the richest man in New England when he inherited a shipping fortune. He was a bright student. Young Hancock graduated from Harvard at the age of
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Farnsworth Street Garage. Stillings Street Garage. Most folks have heard of this famed politician, if not for the fact that his name is often synonymous with the word signature. But besides the fact that he was the first and only signer of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, the other delegates signed weeks later , what else do we really know about him? Read on to learn some fun, interesting and little known facts about John Hancock. The House of Hancock imported and exported goods like whale oil, fish and rum. One of his best childhood friends, John Adams, went on to become the second President of the United States. Although rich and powerful, John Hancock was still concerned about the impoverished and his community. He often donated to churches, schools and organizations to help the less fortunate. He was popular and highly regarded for his generosity. Although his background should have made him a loyalist, Hancock sympathized with his friends John Adams and Samuel Adams who were both patriots. He risked his fortune to support American independence by helping to raise money, secure troops and organize naval forces. Hancock was considered a threat to the British because of his political views. In addition to protesting the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act and being a part of the Sons of Liberty , he was known for riling up the crowds at meetings during the Boston Tea Party. In fact, Revere warned him that the British were coming to arrest him and John Adams. He got the news just in time and he and Adams escaped from Lexington to Philadelphia and avoided capture. The British accused Hancock of offloading goods without paying customs duties. John Adams defended Hancock and got the charges dropped without explanation. Although some alleged that Hancock was upset with George Washington for not nominating him for a military appointment, he and Washington had a very amicable relationship. Hancock was actually the first and third Governor of the state and was a contender for President of the United States. He signed in an entirely blank space so his signature stood out for that reason and because it was so large as compared to the other signatures. After he passed away on October 8, , the date of his burial became a state holiday. And today, there is a life insurance company, six United States Navy Ships and numerous streets, cities and counties that bear his name. January 1stst: We are open and on a regular Off-season schedule!
Signers of the Declaration of Independence
John Hancock January 23, [ O. January 12, ] — October 8, was an American merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is remembered for his large and stylish signature on the United States Declaration of Independence , so much so that the term «John Hancock» has become a synonym in the United States for one’s signature. Before the American Revolution, Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in the Thirteen Colonies , having inherited a profitable mercantile business from his uncle. Hancock used his wealth to support the colonial cause as tensions increased between colonists and Great Britain in the s. He became very popular in Massachusetts , especially after British officials seized his sloop Liberty in and charged him with smuggling. Those charges were eventually dropped; he has often been described as a smuggler in historical accounts, but the accuracy of this characterization has been questioned. Hancock was one of Boston’s leaders during the crisis that led to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in He served more than two years in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia , and he was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in his position as president of Congress. He returned to Massachusetts and was elected governor of the Commonwealth, serving in that role for most of his remaining years. He used his influence to ensure that Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution in John Hancock was born on January 23, [3] in Braintree, Massachusetts , in a part of town that eventually became the separate city of Quincy. John Hancock Jr. As a child, Hancock became a casual acquaintance of young John Adams , whom the Reverend Hancock had baptized in Thomas Hancock was the proprietor of a firm known as the House of Hancock, which imported manufactured goods from Britain and exported rum, whale oil, and fish. The couple, who did not have any children of their own, became the dominant influence on John’s life. After graduating from the Boston Latin School in , Hancock enrolled in Harvard College and received a bachelor’s degree in Thomas Hancock had close relations with the royal governors of Massachusetts and secured profitable government contracts during the war. Hancock worked hard, but he also enjoyed playing the role of a wealthy aristocrat and developed a fondness for expensive clothes. From to , Hancock lived in England while building relationships with customers and suppliers. Upon returning to Boston, Hancock gradually took over the House of Hancock as his uncle’s health failed, becoming a full partner in January Andrew in October , which connected him with many of Boston’s most influential citizens. Looking for new sources of revenue, the British Parliament sought, for the first time, to directly tax the colonies, beginning with the Sugar Act of Not only was there little social stigma attached to smuggling in the colonies, but in port cities, where trade was the primary generator of wealth, smuggling enjoyed considerable community support, and it was even possible to obtain insurance against being caught. Colonial merchants developed an impressive repertoire of evasive maneuvers to conceal the origin, nationality, routes and content of their illicit cargoes. This included the frequent use of fraudulent paperwork to make the cargo appear legal and authorized.
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Born on January 23,in Braintree present day city of Quincy Massachusetts, John Hancock inherited a thriving trading business in Boston and hkw, with Samuel Adams, become a major figure in colonial agitation against British rule. He was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence and would later be elected the first governor of Massachusetts. He also faced accusations of financial mismanagement. The elder Hancock died when John was a child, and his mother took him and his siblings to live with in-laws in Lexington. She later sent John to live with Lydia and Thomas Hancock, his aunt and uncle. The couple had no children and hence adopted the boy. Thomas was a wealthy merchant who owned a highly successful shipping business. John went on to attend Harvard College, his father’s alma mater, graduating in and subsequently working with his uncle. InJohn ventured to London and lived there for a spell, returning to the colonies in His uncle’s health was failing and upon Thomas’s death inMobey inherited the family business and estate. Hancock — how much money did john hancock make reputedly maintained a lavish lifestyle and often faced staunch criticism for his exorbitance — would become a major figure in the American Revolution. In the mids, he won two consecutive political positions, first managing affairs on a local level in Boston and then moving to the colonial legislature. He entered politics at a time when American colonialists were becoming increasingly agitated by British parliamentary tax regulations and restrictions, with Hancock becoming inextricably involved due to his importing-exporting affairs. Protesting financial regulations like the Stamp Act and Townshend duties, Hancock commandeered public acts of protest. To avoid British taxation, Hancock had also mucg taken to smuggling goods aboard his maks. InHancock’s ship the Liberty was taken ahold of by British authorities who stated the merchant hadn’t paid the required fees on his imports. Hancock was given a huge fine and taken to court. These actions in turn prompted mob violence on Boston streets and eventually led to British authorities sending in military forces. Inafter the Boston Massacre, where British troops fired into a crowd with no matching weaponry, Hancock chaired the committee that demanded the removal of British forces. After a period of improved transatlantic relations, Boston became a volatile site once again with the Tea Act ofwith Hancock helping to organize protests. He, along with fellow New England agitator and legislator Samuel Adams, was increasingly seen as a major rabble rouser by the British government. InHancock was made leader of the Massachusetts delegate to the second Continental Congress, which would convene the following year in Philadelphia.
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