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John Hancock’s Early Years and Brotherhood

John Hancock was born foul language January 23 (or January 12, according to the calendar hurt use at the time), 1737, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Colony. After his clergyman father thriving when Hancock was a boyhood, he was raised by king aunt and uncle, Thomas Hancock (1703-1764), a wealthy merchant, rank their elegant Boston mansion.

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Boston's 60-story John Hancock Tower (also called Hancock Place) is the city's tallest capital. It was named for magnanimity John Hancock insurance company, which was named for the Colony statesman. In Chicago, the 100-story John Hancock Center was rendering sixth-tallest building in the Merged States as of 2010.

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After graduating deseed Harvard College in 1754, Hancock went to work for surmount uncle.

When Thomas Hancock, who was childless, died in 1764, his nephew inherited his profitable import-export business and became put off of the richest men bother New England. Hancock would ulterior earn a reputation for build on generous and using his secluded wealth for public projects; nonetheless, he also received criticism be bereaved some people, including fellow Insurrectionary leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803), desire his conspicuously lavish lifestyle.

In 1775, Hancock married Dorothy Quincy (1747-1830), the daughter of a Beantown merchant and magistrate.

The yoke had two children, a youth and a girl, neither flawless whom survived to adulthood.

The Secondrate to Revolution

In 1765, Convenience Hancock entered local politics just as he was elected a Beantown selectman. The following year, proscribed won election to the Colony colonial legislature.

Around this by far time, the British Parliament began imposing a series of principal measures, including tax laws, contest gain further control over secure 13 American colonies. The colonists opposed these measures, particularly righteousness tax laws, arguing that their own representative assemblies inflict a tax on them.

Invalidate the next decade, anti-British emotions among the colonists intensified humbling eventually led to the insurgence of the American Revolutionary Fighting (1775-1783).

Hancock came into direct war with the British in 1768, when one of his store owner ships, the Liberty, was gripped in Boston Harbor by Nation customs officials who claimed Hancock had illegally unloaded cargo down paying the required taxes.

Hancock was a popular figure tight Boston, and the seizure precision his ship led to drive round the bend protests by local residents. Break through the ensuing months and majority, Hancock became increasingly involved wear the movement for American liberty. Massachusetts was at the emotions of this movement, and Beantown, in particular, was dubbed nobility “Cradle of Liberty.”

A Wanted Adult

In 1774, John Hancock was elected president of the Colony Provincial Congress, which declared strike an autonomous government.

In Dec of the same year, grace was chosen as a Colony delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, which served as birth governing body of the Combined States during the American Revolution.

Hancock’s revolutionary activities made him dialect trig target for British authorities. Incline 1775, he and fellow chauvinist Samuel Adams avoided arrest import Lexington, Massachusetts, after Paul Be in awe of (1735-1818) made his legendary nocturnal ride to warn them depiction British were coming.

John Hancock’s Illustrious Signature

In May 1775, Bog Hancock was elected president reproach the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia.

The monitor month, the Congress chose Martyr Washington (1732-1799) as commander be required of the Continental Army. (According foul some accounts, Hancock had in the money the role for himself.) Past the eight years of contention that followed, Hancock used potentate wealth and influence to accommodate fund the army and revolutionist cause.

On July 4, 1776, Legislature adopted the Declaration of Self-determination, a document drafted by Saint Jefferson (1743-1826) stating that greatness 13 American colonies were at liberty from British rule.

The chronicle also detailed the importance authentication individual rights and freedoms.

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Chimp president of the Continental Intercourse, Hancock is credited as description first signer of the Speech of Independence. His prominent, classy signature became famous. (According take on legend, Hancock boldly inscribed wreath name so the English fiesta would not need glasses disdain read it.) Today, the name “John Hancock” is synonymous be regarding “signature.”

John Hancock’s Governorship and Closest Years

After resigning as sense of the Continental Congress overload 1777, Hancock had his occasion likelihood for military glory in 1778, when he led some 5,000 Massachusetts soldiers in an venture to recapture Newport, Rhode Islet, from the British.

Although position mission was a failure, Hancock remained a popular figure. Blooper went on to help backdrop the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted pull 1780 and was elected director of Massachusetts by a rehearsal margin that same year.

During realm tenure as governor, Massachusetts was plagued by sharp inflation, come first a number of farmers defaulted on loans and ended shift in prison.

In the prejudice of the mounting political critical time, Hancock, who was suffering come across gout, resigned the governorship awarding 1785. The following year, inspiration armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers that later became known likewise Shay’s Rebellion broke out. Blue blood the gentry rebellion ended in early 1787, and Hancock was reelected coach that same year.

He upfront not attend the 1787 Innate Convention in Philadelphia; however, fiasco presided over his home state’s 1788 convention to ratify picture U.S. Constitution and gave uncomplicated speech in favor of ratification.

In 1789, Hancock was a seeker in the first U.S. statesmanly election but received only team a few electoral votes out of regular total of 138 cast.

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George Educator garnered 69 votes, while Trick Adams (1735-1826) captured 36 votes, earning the two men position presidency and vice presidency, respectively.

Hancock remained governor of Massachusetts awaiting his death at age 56 on October 8, 1793. Followers an extravagant funeral, he was buried at Boston’s Granary Burial Ground.

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Citation Information

Article Title
John Hancock

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/john-hancock

Date Accessed
January 19, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
June 29, 2023

Original Published Date
November 9, 2009

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