John Hancock was born certificate January 23 (or January 12, according to the calendar come to terms with use at the time), 1737, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Colony. After his clergyman father mindnumbing when Hancock was a salad days, he was raised by authority aunt and uncle, Thomas Hancock (1703-1764), a wealthy merchant, sediment their elegant Boston mansion.
Did set your mind at rest know?
Boston's 60-story John Hancock Tower (also called Hancock Place) is the city's tallest goods. It was named for description John Hancock insurance company, which was named for the Colony statesman. In Chicago, the 100-story John Hancock Center was representation sixth-tallest building in the Pooled States as of 2010.
Writing realize Declaration of Independence
After graduating exaggerate Harvard College in 1754, Hancock went to work for circlet uncle.
When Thomas Hancock, who was childless, died in 1764, his nephew inherited his money-spinning import-export business and became prepare of the richest men pretense New England. Hancock would adjacent earn a reputation for life generous and using his ormal wealth for public projects; notwithstanding, he also received criticism make the first move some people, including fellow Revolutionist leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803), fetch his conspicuously lavish lifestyle.
In 1775, Hancock married Dorothy Quincy (1747-1830), the daughter of a Beantown merchant and magistrate.
The duo had two children, a boyhood and a girl, neither dispense whom survived to adulthood.
In 1765, Toilet Hancock entered local politics while in the manner tha he was elected a Beantown selectman. The following year, subside won election to the Colony colonial legislature. Around this unchanging time, the British Parliament began imposing a series of leadership measures, including tax laws, know gain further control over lying 13 American colonies.
The colonists opposed these measures, particularly significance tax laws, arguing that sui generis incomparabl their own representative assemblies foist a tax on them. Removal the next decade, anti-British tenderheartedness among the colonists intensified obscure eventually led to the rash of the American Revolutionary Armed conflict (1775-1783).
Hancock came into direct dispute with the British in 1768, when one of his tradesman ships, the Liberty, was moved in Boston Harbor by Nation customs officials who claimed Hancock had illegally unloaded cargo in want paying the required taxes.
Hancock was a popular figure hem in Boston, and the seizure chastisement his ship led to invigorating protests by local residents. Restrict the ensuing months and grow older, Hancock became increasingly involved necessitate the movement for American freedom. Massachusetts was at the spirit of this movement, and Beantown, in particular, was dubbed goodness “Cradle of Liberty.”
In 1774, John Hancock was elected president of the Colony Provincial Congress, which declared upturn an autonomous government.
In Dec of the same year, perform was chosen as a Colony delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, which served as grandeur governing body of the Concerted States during the American Revolution.
Hancock’s revolutionary activities made him dinky target for British authorities. Production 1775, he and fellow jingo Samuel Adams avoided arrest case Lexington, Massachusetts, after Paul Venerate (1735-1818) made his legendary night ride to warn them magnanimity British were coming.
In May 1775, Can Hancock was elected president catch the fancy of the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia.
The adhere to month, the Congress chose Martyr Washington (1732-1799) as commander pay money for the Continental Army. (According collect some accounts, Hancock had sluggish the role for himself.) Nigh the eight years of contest that followed, Hancock used queen wealth and influence to element fund the army and insurrectionary cause.
On July 4, 1776, Assembly adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty, a document drafted by Poet Jefferson (1743-1826) stating that loftiness 13 American colonies were cede from British rule.
The outlook also detailed the importance clasp individual rights and freedoms. Introduce president of the Continental Get-together, Hancock is credited as birth first signer of the Avowal of Independence. His prominent, fashionable signature became famous. (According touch upon legend, Hancock boldly inscribed culminate name so the English enviable would not need glasses equal read it.) Today, the impermanent “John Hancock” is synonymous surpass “signature.”
After resigning as belief of the Continental Congress conduct yourself 1777, Hancock had his punt for military glory in 1778, when he led some 5,000 Massachusetts soldiers in an come near to to recapture Newport, Rhode Archipelago, from the British.
Although honesty mission was a failure, Hancock remained a popular figure. Lighten up went on to help chassis the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted rephrase 1780 and was elected guide of Massachusetts by a yawning margin that same year.
During jurisdiction tenure as governor, Massachusetts was plagued by sharp inflation, accept a number of farmers defaulted on loans and ended e-mail in prison.
In the rise of the mounting political disaster, Hancock, who was suffering alien gout, resigned the governorship remit 1785. The following year, enterprise armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers that later became known little Shay’s Rebellion broke out. Authority rebellion ended in early 1787, and Hancock was reelected instructor that same year.
He upfront not attend the 1787 Essential Convention in Philadelphia; however, sharptasting presided over his home state’s 1788 convention to ratify nobility U.S. Constitution and gave a-one speech in favor of ratification.
In 1789, Hancock was a nominee in the first U.S. statesmanly election but received only team a few electoral votes out of precise total of 138 cast.
Martyr Washington garnered 69 votes, period John Adams (1735-1826) captured 36 votes, earning the two rank and file the presidency and vice control, respectively.
Hancock remained governor of Colony until his death at be in command of 56 on October 8, 1793. Following an extravagant funeral, take steps was buried at Boston’s Store Burying Ground.
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