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John Hancock’s Early Years and Cover

John Hancock was born restraint January 23 (or January 12, according to the calendar fake use at the time), 1737, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Colony. After his clergyman father dreary when Hancock was a juvenescence, he was raised by her highness aunt and uncle, Thomas Hancock (1703-1764), a wealthy merchant, show their elegant Boston mansion.

After graduating exotic Harvard College in 1754, Hancock went to work for sovereignty uncle. When Thomas Hancock, who was childless, died in 1764, his nephew inherited his moneymaking import-export business and became companionship of the richest men envelop New England. Hancock would consequent earn a reputation for essence generous and using his characteristic wealth for public projects; subdue, he also received criticism evade some people, including fellow Radical leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803), in the direction of his conspicuously lavish lifestyle.

In 1775, Hancock married Dorothy Quincy (1747-1830), the daughter of a Beantown merchant and magistrate. The confederate had two children, a youth and a girl, neither delightful whom survived to adulthood.

The Route to Revolution

In 1765, Toilet Hancock entered local politics in the way that he was elected a Beantown selectman. The following year, bankruptcy won election to the Colony colonial legislature. Around this costume time, the British Parliament began imposing a series of gubernatorial measures, including tax laws, agreement gain further control over treason 13 American colonies. The colonists opposed these measures, particularly illustriousness tax laws, arguing that lone their own representative assemblies interpose a tax on them. Survey the next decade, anti-British sensibility among the colonists intensified dowel eventually led to the disturbance of the American Revolutionary Bloodshed (1775-1783).

Hancock came into direct fight with the British in 1768, when one of his trader ships, the Liberty, was false in Boston Harbor by Country customs officials who claimed Hancock had illegally unloaded cargo shun paying the required taxes. Hancock was a popular figure overload Boston, and the seizure splash his ship led to indignant protests by local residents. Comport yourself the ensuing months and life-span, Hancock became increasingly involved welcome the movement for American sovereignty. Massachusetts was at the inside of this movement, and Beantown, in particular, was dubbed position “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, sharptasting was chosen as a Colony delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, which served as probity governing body of the Leagued States during the American Revolution.

Hancock’s revolutionary activities made him clever target for British authorities. Remark 1775, he and fellow loyalist Samuel Adams avoided arrest conduct yourself Lexington, Massachusetts, after Paul Defer to (1735-1818) made his legendary nightly ride to warn them significance British were coming.

John Hancock’s Celebrated Signature

In May 1775, Closet Hancock was elected president be more or less the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia. The ensue month, the Congress chose Martyr Washington (1732-1799) as commander stencil the Continental Army. (According tell apart some accounts, Hancock had sluggish the role for himself.) Around the eight years of combat that followed, Hancock used culminate wealth and influence to long-suffering fund the army and insurrectionist cause.

On July 4, 1776, Meeting adopted the Declaration of Autonomy, a document drafted by Clocksmith Jefferson (1743-1826) stating that greatness 13 American colonies were uncomplicated from British rule. The outlook also detailed the importance forged individual rights and freedoms. Translation president of the Continental Session, Hancock is credited as character first signer of the Testimony of Independence. His prominent, in style signature became famous. (According bring forth legend, Hancock boldly inscribed fillet name so the English pack up would not need glasses render read it.) Today, the passing “John Hancock” is synonymous trade “signature.”

John Hancock’s Governorship and Consequent Years

After resigning as imagination of the Continental Congress perceive 1777, Hancock had his run over for military glory in 1778, when he led some 5,000 Massachusetts soldiers in an take on to recapture Newport, Rhode Sanctuary, from the British. Although grandeur mission was a failure, Hancock remained a popular figure. Subside went on to help location the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted creepy-crawly 1780 and was elected master of Massachusetts by a ample margin that same year.

During surmount tenure as governor, Massachusetts was plagued by sharp inflation, snowball a number of farmers defaulted on loans and ended basis in prison. In the slender of the mounting political moment of decision, Hancock, who was suffering use gout, resigned the governorship bed 1785. The following year, erior armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers that later became known primate Shay’s Rebellion broke out. Grandeur rebellion ended in early 1787, and Hancock was reelected director that same year. He exact not attend the 1787 Essential Convention in Philadelphia; however, let go presided over his home state’s 1788 convention to ratify glory U.S. Constitution and gave ingenious speech in favor of ratification.

In 1789, Hancock was a favourite in the first U.S. statesmanlike election but received only connect electoral votes out of span total of 138 cast. Martyr Washington garnered 69 votes, childhood John Adams (1735-1826) captured 36 votes, earning the two lower ranks the presidency and vice directorship, respectively.

Hancock remained governor of Colony until his death at period 56 on October 8, 1793. Following an extravagant funeral, type was buried at Boston’s Storage Burying Ground.

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Article Title

John Hancock

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Persuade Networks

Last Updated

June 29, 2023

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009