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For other uses, see John Hancock (disambiguation). John Hancock is the name of John Hancock (1735&ndash1793 18th century businessman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
John Hancock
John Hancock
In office
May 24, 1775 – October 31, 1777
Preceded by Peyton Randolph
Succeeded by Henry Laurens
In office
1780 – 1785
Lieutenant Thomas Cushing
Preceded by William Howe (as Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay)
Succeeded by Thomas Cushing
In office
November 23, 1785 – June 5, 1786
Preceded by Richard Henry Lee
Succeeded by Nathaniel Gorham
In office
May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793
Lieutenant Thomas Cushing
Preceded by James Bowdoin
Succeeded by Samuel Adams
Born January 23, 1737(1737-01-23)
Quincy, Massachusetts
Died October 8, 1793 (aged 56)
Quincy, Massachusetts
Political party None
Spouse Dorothy Quincy
Signature John Hancock's signature

John Hancock (January 23 [O.S. January 12] 1737– October 8, 1793) was a Massachusetts merchant and prominent patriot of the American Revolution. The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10 1775 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Peyton Randolph was the first President of the Continental Congress. Henry Laurens (March 6 1724 December 8 1792 was an American merchant and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Year 1780 ( MDCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Thomas Cushing III ( March 24, 1725 February 28, 1788) was an American lawyer and statesman from Boston Massachusetts. William Howe 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC ( 10 August 1729 &ndash 12 July 1814) was a British General who The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony chartered October 7, 1691 in North America by William and Mary, the joint Thomas Cushing III ( March 24, 1725 February 28, 1788) was an American lawyer and statesman from Boston Massachusetts. The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Richard Henry Lee (January 20 1732 June 19 1794 was an American statesman from Virginia best known for proposing the motion in the Second Continental Nathaniel Gorham (May 27 1738 – June 11 1796 was the eighth President of the United States in Congress assembled, under the Articles of Confederation. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Thomas Cushing III ( March 24, 1725 February 28, 1788) was an American lawyer and statesman from Boston Massachusetts. James Bowdoin (August 7 1726 November 6 1790 was an American political and intellectual leader from Boston, Massachusetts during the American Revolution Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1737 ( MDCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Dorothy Quincy Hancock Scott was the daughter of Justice Edmund Quincy (1703-1788 of Braintree and Boston Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1737 ( MDCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" He served as President of the Second Continental Congress and was the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but is most famous for his prominent signature on the United States Declaration of Independence. The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10 1775 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then

Contents

Early life

John Hancock was born in Braintree, Massachusetts,[1]the son of Reverend John Hancock and Mary Hawke, whose ancestors had lived in nearby Hingham. For geographic and demographic information on the Census-designated place Braintree please see the article Braintree (CDP, Massachusetts. The Hancocks lived in a part of town which eventually became the separate city of Quincy, Massachusetts, where John became a childhood friend of John Adams. Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. In 1742, his father died and John was adopted by his paternal uncle, Thomas Hancock, who had no children and was a highly successful merchant and privateer who lived in Hancock Manor in Boston. The Hancock Manor was a house located at 30 Beacon Street on Beacon Hill Boston Massachusetts.

After graduating from the Boston Latin School in 1750, he enrolled in Harvard University and received a bachelors degree in 1754. The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts, making it the Year 1754 ( MDCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Upon graduation, he worked for his uncle and was trained for eventual partnership. From 1760 to 1761, John lived in England while building relationships with customers and suppliers of his uncle's shipbuilding business. Year 1760 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Year 1761 ( MDCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In January 1763, his uncle made him a full partner. Because of his uncle's illness, John took the leading role in the business. In August 1764, his uncle died and John inherited the business, Hancock Manor, and he became one of the wealthiest men in America. [2]

Early career

While merchants in England routinely paid duties on imports, the colonies not only evaded duties, but smuggled cheap sugar and molasses from the French West Indies, an enemy country, undermining their countrymen in the British West Indies. Hancock smuggled an estimated 1. 5 million gallons of molasses a year on which he should have paid £37,500 per year, but which corrupt customs officers only collected £2,000 per year. [3]

In 1765, he took his uncle's seat as one of Boston's five selectman. The Board of Selectmen is commonly the executive arm of Town Governments in the New England region of the United States. He did not initially balk at the new taxes since he usually didn't pay them. His colonial trade business naturally led him to resist the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act of 1765 (short title Duties in American Colonies Act 1765; 5 George III c Financially, a British boycott could not come at a better time since his credit had run out in London and he could not buy any more goods if he wanted to. [4] When he told his London agents he would not repay them while the Stamp Act was in effect, his agents joined in protests against the Stamp Act. In May, 1766 one of Hancock's ships brought news to Boston that the Stamp Act had been repealed.

In May, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts General Court. The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled The General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Governor asked the General Court to bring the Stamp Act rioters to justice. In response, James Otis and Samuel Adams pushed through the assembly a bill which gave the rioters amnesty. James Otis Jr (February 5 1725 &ndash May 23 1783 was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts who was an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer

Parliament agreed to only impose external taxes; the Townshend Acts was passed which put duties on various imports. The Townshend Acts (1767 passed by Parliament on 29 June 1767 refer to two Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1767 originally proposed by Charles Hancock's proposal of a partial boycott on British imports was accepted. Hancock also won support for this proposal to begin local manufacture of items such as clothing and jewellery which the colonies had been prohibited from manufacturing. After the passage of the Townshend Act he stated that he would not allow custom officers to board his ships.

On May 1768, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The House elected him each year to the Governor's Council, but the Governor rejected his appointments until 1771 when the Governor changed his mind. Hancock then turned down the position and said he was no longer interested in politics. In 1769, he was elected speaker pro tem.

The Boston Massacre occurred in March 1770. This article is about the 1770 incident The Boston Massacre is also used colloquially to describe portions of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Afterwards, a meeting of citizens at Faneuil Hall appointed a committee, which included Hancock, to meet with Governor Hutchinson and Colonel Dalrymple to demand the removal of the troops. Faneuil Hall (ˈfænl̩ previously /ˈfʌnl̩/ located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace Hancock warned the governor that "there are upwards of 4,000 men ready to take arms". [5] Hutchinson and Dalrymple knew it was a bluff, but Dalrymple agreed to remove both regiments to Castle Island.

Samuel Adams popularity declined after the Boston Massacre and in 1771 Hancock said that he would "never again connect himself with the Adams'". [6]

His regular merchant trade as well as his smuggling practices financed much of his region's resistance to British authority and his financial contributions led the people of Boston to joke that "Sam Adams writes the letters [to newspapers] and John Hancock pays the postage"[7]. Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer

The Liberty affair

John Hancock, c. 1776
John Hancock, c. 1776

In May 1768, one of Hancock's ships, the Liberty, arrived in Boston with a load of Madiera. The custom officers did not inspect the ship until the next morning, when they found the ship was less than one-quarter full. The agents claimed that no wine had been unloaded during the night. The next month, while the warship HMS Romney was in port, one of the custom officers now said that he had been forcibly held on the Liberty and was threatened with death if he told about it. The government seized the ship. A mob gathered at the homes of the custom officers, smashing their windows and threatening to attack the custom officers if they returned. [8]

Hancock was able to obtain the release of the Liberty until the case came up in court. Otis and Adams accused Hancock of capitulating to the government, in response to which Hancock canceled his deal to recover the ship. In August, the charges against Hancock were dropped, but his ship was ordered forfeited. In November, after British troops had arrived, Hancock was again arrested for smuggling on the Liberty. After three months, with no evidence or eyewitness testimony to his guilt being presented, he was acquitted. In February 1769, the events associated with the Liberty caused Parliament to order the Massachusetts Governor to apply the Treasons Act 1534, ordering those suspected of treason to be brought to England. Treasons Act 1534 (citation 26 Henry VIII c 13) was an Act passed by the English Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII of England

The ship was armed and roamed the coast looking for smugglers. Liberty's searches and seizures infuriated merchants in Newport and they sent a mob to burn the ship to the waterline. [9]

Revolution begins

At first only a financier of the growing rebellion, John Hancock later became a public critic of British rule. On March 5, 1774, the fourth anniversary of the Boston Massacre, he gave a speech strongly condemning the British. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1774 ( MDCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a This article is about the 1770 incident The Boston Massacre is also used colloquially to describe portions of a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. In the same year, he was unanimously elected president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and presided over its Committee of Safety. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1776 was a Provisional government created in the Province of Massachusetts Bay early in the American Revolution Under Hancock, Massachusetts was able to raise bands of "minutemen"—soldiers who pledged to be ready for battle on short notice—and his boycott of tea imported by the British East India Company eventually led to the Boston Tea Party. Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial militia during the American Revolutionary War. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many

In April 1775 as the British intent became apparent, Hancock and Samuel Adams slipped away from Boston to elude capture, staying in the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington, Massachusetts (which can still be seen to this day). Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer The Hancock-Clarke House is a historic Revolutionary War site on Hancock Street in Lexington Massachusetts. Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. There Paul Revere supposedly roused them about midnight before the British troops arrived at dawn for the Battle of Lexington and Concord, but Prescott was the one who actually informed Hancock and Adams. Paul Revere (bap December 22, 1734 ( OS) / January 1 1735 (NS &ndash May 10, 1818) was an American Silversmith The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. At this time, General Thomas Gage ordered Hancock and Adams arrested for treason. Thomas Gage (1719 April 2, 1787) was a British general and commander in chief of the North American forces from 1763 to 1775 during the early days of the Following the battle a proclamation was issued granting a general pardon to all who would demonstrate loyalty to the crown—with the exceptions of Hancock and Adams.

Continental Congress

In John Trumbull's famous painting The Declaration of Independence, Hancock, as presiding officer, is seated on the right as the drafting committee presents their work.
In John Trumbull's famous painting The Declaration of Independence, Hancock, as presiding officer, is seated on the right as the drafting committee presents their work. John Trumbull ( June 6, 1756 &ndash November 10, 1843) was an American artist during the period of the American Revolutionary John Trumbull 's Declaration of Independence is a 12-by 18- foot oil-on-canvas in the United States Capitol Rotunda The Committee of Five was the group delegated by the Second Continental Congress on June 11, 1776, to draft the United States

On May 24, 1775, he was elected President of the Second Continental Congress, succeeding Peyton Randolph after Henry Middleton declined the nomination. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10 1775 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Peyton Randolph was the first President of the Continental Congress. Henry Middleton (1717 June 13 1784 of South Carolina was the second President of the Continental Congress from October 22 1774 The president's authority was limited to that of a presiding officer. [10] Hancock would serve through some of the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, including Washington's defeats in New York and New Jersey as well as Great Britain's occupation of Philadelphia, until resigning his office in York, Pennsylvania on October 30, 1777. The New York and New Jersey campaign was a series of battles in the American Revolutionary War between British forces under General Sir William Howe The Philadelphia campaign (1777&ndash1778 was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hancock's vanity had offended many members of Congress, particularly his fellow Massachusetts delegates, and when Congress voted to thank Hancock for his service, the other Massachusetts delegates voted against the resolution. [10] He was succeeded by Henry Laurens. Henry Laurens (March 6 1724 December 8 1792 was an American merchant and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary

Famous signature

Hancock's signature as it appears on the engrossed version of the Declaration of Independence
Hancock's signature as it appears on the engrossed version of the Declaration of Independence

Hancock is best-remembered for his large, flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence, so much so that "John Hancock" became, in the United States, an informal synonym for "signature". A signature (from Latin signare, " Sign " is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized depiction of someone's name nickname or even a simple The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then A signature (from Latin signare, " Sign " is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized depiction of someone's name nickname or even a simple [11] Myth and misconception surround Hancock's signing of the Declaration. According a popular legend, Hancock signed his name largely and clearly so that King George could read it without his spectacles, but this fanciful story did not appear until many years later. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places [12] Another misconception is that Hancock was the only one to sign the Declaration on July 4, 1776, and that others signed the document later, but this confuses two events and two different documents. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Whether Hancock or anyone else signed the document that was sent to the printer is unknown, because that document is lost, presumably destroyed in the printing process. [13] The printer produced the first published version of the Declaration, the widely distributed Dunlap broadside, and Hancock, as President of Congress, was the only congressman whose name appeared on it. The Dunlap broadsides were the first published copies of the United States Declaration of Independence, printed on the night of July 4, 1776, by John Hancock's name was printed, not signed, on the Dunlap broadside: his famous signature appears on a different document—a sheet of parchment that was engrossed (carefully handwritten) sometime after July 19 and signed on August 2 by Hancock and those delegates present. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the [14] This is the copy of the Declaration of Independence on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Return to Massachusetts

In January 1776, he was appointed commander in chief and major general of the Massachusetts militia. The United States National Archives and Records Administration ( NARA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D In July 1778, he led 6,000 of his militia in a failed attack on the British at Newport, Rhode Island.

From 1780–1785, he was governor of Massachusetts. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Hancock's skills as orator and moderator were much admired, but during the American Revolution he was most often sought out for his ability to raise funds and supplies for American troops. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Despite his skill in the merchant trade, even Hancock had trouble meeting the Continental Congress's demand for beef cattle to feed the hungry army. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows On January 19, 1781, General Washington warned Hancock:

"I should not trouble your Excellency, with such reiterated applications on the score of supplies, if any objects less than the safety of these Posts on this River, and indeed the existence of the Army, were at stake. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common By the enclosed Extracts of a Letter, of Yesterday, from Major Genl. Heath, you will see our present situation, and future prospects. If therefore the supply of Beef Cattle demanded by the requisitions of Congress from Your State, is not regularly forwarded to the Army, I cannot consider myself as responsible for the maintenance of the Garrisons below West Point, New York, or the continuance of a single Regiment in the Field. " (United States Library of Congress, 1781. )

On June 16, 1785, Hancock was again elected to the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He was unable to attend the session of Congress in November 1785 due to his illness. However, he was elected President of Congress on November 23, 1785 by the delegates in the hope his leadership would restore unity in the Confederation Government that was falling apart. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hancock failed to attend any sessions in New York and his Presidential duties were performed by the two chairmen, David Ramsay and Nathaniel Gorham. David Ramsay may refer to David Ramsay (congressman (1749&ndash1815 an American physician historian and Continental Congressman for South Carolina Nathaniel Gorham (May 27 1738 – June 11 1796 was the eighth President of the United States in Congress assembled, under the Articles of Confederation. On 29 May 1786, Hancock, who was unable to write himself, had his letter of resignation written. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Quotations

“ In circumstances as dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments, …at the same time all confidence must be withheld from the means we use; and reposed only on that God rules in the armies of Heaven, and without His whole blessing, the best human counsels are but foolishness… Resolved; …Thursday the 11th of May…to humble themselves before God under the heavy judgments felt and feared, to confess the sins that have deserved them, to implore the Forgiveness of all our transgressions, and a spirit of repentance and reformation …and a Blessing on the … Union of the American Colonies in Defense of their Rights [for which hitherto we desire to thank Almighty God]…That the people of Great Britain and their rulers may have their eyes opened to discern the things that shall make for the peace of the nation…for the redress of America’s many grievances, the restoration of all her invaded liberties, and their security to the latest generations. ”

—Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, with a total abstinence from labor and recreation. Proclamation on April 15, 1775

Dorothy Quincy, Mrs John Hancock, by John Singleton Copley, ca 1772
Dorothy Quincy, Mrs John Hancock, by John Singleton Copley, ca 1772

Family

Hancock married Dorothy Quincy. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a John Singleton Copley (1738 - 1815 was an American painter born presumably in Boston Massachusetts and a son of Richard and Mary Singleton Copley both Irish Dorothy Quincy Hancock Scott was the daughter of Justice Edmund Quincy (1703-1788 of Braintree and Boston (Dorothy Quincy's aunt, who had the same name as her niece, was the great-grandmother of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Oliver Wendell Holmes was the name of two prominent men father and son Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr )

John and Dorothy had two children, neither of whom survived to adulthood. [1]

Because of Hancock's fame and the frequency of his family name, many Americans continue to believe that they are descended from him. [2] Among these, for example, was the writer Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. [3] In view of the childhood demise of both of Hancock's known children, it is unlikely that any such claim can be supported.

Legacy

A number of things have been named after John Hancock:

Hancock's tombstone in Granary Burying Ground in Boston
Hancock's tombstone in Granary Burying Ground in Boston

Notes

  1. ^ Hancock was born 1737 in a place which was at the time officially in the North Precinct of the Town of Braintree, Province of Massachusetts Bay. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. John Hancock Financial is a loose term for a major United States insurance company which existed in various forms from its founding on April 21, 1862, until its A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it For geographic and demographic information on the Census-designated place Braintree please see the article Braintree (CDP, Massachusetts. The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony chartered October 7, 1691 in North America by William and Mary, the joint In the year 1782 the North Precinct of the Town of Braintree was incorporated as the Town of Quincy, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Year 1782 ( MDCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Thus, geographical point where he was born is now within the modern city of Quincy, and not the modern city of Braintree.
  2. ^ Unger, pg. 68
  3. ^ Unger, pg. 72
  4. ^ Unger, pg. 99
  5. ^ Unger, pg. 144
  6. ^ Unger, pg. 157
  7. ^ Fradin & McCurdy, 2002
  8. ^ Unger, pg. 120
  9. ^ Unger, pg. 124
  10. ^ a b William M. Fowler. "Hancock, John"; American National Biography Online, Feb. The American National Biography is a 24 volume set containing approximately 17400 entries and 20 million words 2000.
  11. ^ Merriam-Webster online; Dictionary.com.
  12. ^ "John Hancock and Bull Story", Snopes. com
  13. ^ Julian P. Boyd, "The Declaration of Independence: The Mystery of the Lost Original". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 100, number 4 (October 1976) , 438–467.
  14. ^ Carl Becker, The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas (1922), 184–85.

References

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Peyton Randolph		 President of the Second Continental Congress
May 24, 1775 – October 31, 1777		 Succeeded by
Henry Laurens
Preceded by
William Howe
(Provincial governor)		 Governor of Massachusetts
1780 – 1785		 Succeeded by
Thomas Cushing
Preceded by
Richard Henry Lee		 President of the United States in Congress Assembled
November 23, 1785 – May 29, 1786		 Succeeded by
Nathaniel Gorham
Preceded by
James Bowdoin		 Governor of Massachusetts
May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793		 Succeeded by
Samuel Adams
The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as Peyton Randolph was the first President of the Continental Congress. The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Henry Laurens (March 6 1724 December 8 1792 was an American merchant and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary William Howe may refer to William Howe (actor (born 1994 actor William Howe (architect, patented Howe Truss for covered bridges The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Year 1780 ( MDCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Thomas Cushing III ( March 24, 1725 February 28, 1788) was an American lawyer and statesman from Boston Massachusetts. Richard Henry Lee (January 20 1732 June 19 1794 was an American statesman from Virginia best known for proposing the motion in the Second Continental The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Nathaniel Gorham (May 27 1738 – June 11 1796 was the eighth President of the United States in Congress assembled, under the Articles of Confederation. James Bowdoin (August 7 1726 November 6 1790 was an American political and intellectual leader from Boston, Massachusetts during the American Revolution The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer

Dictionary

John Hancock

-noun

  1. (idiomatic) One's signature.
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