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| {{otherpeople}} | |||
| {{Infobox_Governor | |||
| |name= John Hancock | |||
| |image= JohnHancockSmall.jpeg | |||
| |caption= | |||
| |order=1st and 3rd | |||
| |office= Governor of Massachusetts | |||
| |term_start= 1780 | |||
| |term_end= 1785<br>May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793 | |||
| |lieutenant= ] | |||
| |predecessor= None | |||
| |successor= ] (]), ] (]) | |||
| |birth_date= ] ] | |||
| |birth_place= ] | |||
| |death_date= ] ] | |||
| |death_place= ] | |||
| |spouse= ] | |||
| |party= None | |||
| }} | |||
| '''John Hancock''' (], ] <small>]</small> – ], ] <small>]</small>) was ] of the ] and of the ]; first ]; and the first person to sign the ]. | |||
| ==Children== | |||
| John and Dorothy had two children, neither of whom survived to adulthood. | |||
| *''Lydia Hancock'' (Oct 1776–Aug 1777); died at the age of about ten months. | |||
| *''John George Washington Hancock'' (] ]–] ]); died at the age of eight years. | |||
| ==Early career== | |||
| ] on the ]]] | |||
| A ] ] and ] to the ], his colonial trade business naturally disposed him to resist the ], which attempted to restrict colonial trading. | |||
| The <u>Stamp Act</u> was repealed, but later acts (such as the ]) led to further taxation on common goods. Eventually, Hancock's shipping practices became more evasive, and he began to ] glass, lead, paper and tea. In 1768, upon arriving from England, his ] ''Liberty'' was impounded by British customs officials for violation of revenue laws. This caused a ] among some infuriated Bostonians, depending as they did on the supplies on board. | |||
| 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 "] writes the letters and John Hancock pays the postage" (Fradin & McCurdy, 2002). | |||
| == American Revolution == | |||
| ] | |||
| At first only a financier of the growing rebellion, he later became a public critic of British rule. On ], ], the fourth anniversary of the ], he gave a speech strongly condemning the British. In the same year, he was unanimously elected president of the ], and presided over its Committee of Safety. Under Hancock, Massachusetts raised bands of "]"—soldiers who pledged to be ready for battle in a minute's notice—and his boycott of ] imported by the ] eventually led to the ]. | |||
| In April 1775 as the British intent became apparent, Hancock and ] slipped away from Boston to elude capture, staying in the ] in ] (which can still be seen to this day). There ] roused them about midnight before the British troops arrived at dawn for the ]. At this time, ] ordered Hancock and Adams arrested for treason. 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. | |||
| On ], ], he was elected the third ] of the ], succeeding ]. He would serve until ], ], when he was himself succeeded by ]. | |||
| In the first month of his presidency, on ], ], Hancock commissioned ] ] of the ]. A year later, Hancock sent Washington a copy of the ], ] congressional resolution calling for independence as well as a copy of the ]. | |||
| ]'s famous painting is usually incorrectly identified as a depiction of the signing of the Declaration. What the painting actually depicts is the five-man drafting committee presenting their work to the Congress. Trumbull's painting can also be found on the back of the U.S. ].<ref>http://www.americanrevolution.org/deckey.html</ref>]] | |||
| Hancock was the only one to sign the ] on the fourth; the other 55 delegates signed on August 2nd. He also requested Washington have the Declaration read to the ]. According to popular legend, he signed his name largely and clearly to be sure King ] could read it without his spectacles, causing his name to become an ] for "]". However, other examples suggest that Hancock always wrote his signature this way. | |||
| From 1780–1785, he was ]. Hancock's skills as orator and moderator were much admired, but during the ] he was most often sought out for his ability to raise funds and supplies for American troops. Despite his skill in the merchant trade, even Hancock had trouble meeting the Continental Congress's demand for ] cattle to feed the hungry army. On ], ], General Washington warned Hancock: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| "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. 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.) | |||
| </blockquote> | |||
| ==Quotes== | |||
| * “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 …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 ], ] | |||
| ==Additional notes== | |||
| In 1772, '']'' was published. John Hancock was among those who signed the ] that ], an ], was its author, refuting the popular assertion that a black woman could not have the intellect to produce the work. When, in 1773, the book was put on display in ], ] (having been refused by Boston publishers) it thus became the first book by an ] to be officially published. | |||
| He made his signature big enough so that King George 111 didn't have to use his glasses. | |||
| He was also a ]. | |||
| As Governor of Commonwealth of Massachusetts he presented a ] to the '''Bucks of America''' black military unit of Boston. See ]. | |||
| ==Things named after John Hancock== | |||
| A number of things have been named after John Hancock: | |||
| *Several states named a Hancock County after him. They are: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| * The town of ] is named in his honor | |||
| * ], a U.S. insurance company, and in turn its office buildings, | |||
| :* The ], the tallest building in ] | |||
| :* The ], also in Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| :* The ], major skyscraper in ] | |||
| *Continental ] ], hired to support ]'s ] from 1775-1776 | |||
| *] ] ], one of the first 13 ]s authorized by the ] in 1775. Served in 1777 until captured by the British. | |||
| *] (AP-3), the former steamer SS ''Arizona'', served as a Navy transport from 1902 to 1925 | |||
| *], an 1850 steam ] | |||
| *], an ] that served from 1944 to 1976, including service in both ] and the ] | |||
| *], a ] commissioned in 1979 and decommissioned in 2000 | |||
| *The college football ], played in ] between 1990 and 1993. | |||
| *The ] at ], a 10-acre dormitory and recreational complex sponsored by ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * Fradin, Dennis Brindell & McCurdy, Michael (2002). ''The Signers: The 56 Stories behind the Declaration of Independence''. Walker & Company. ISBN 0-80-278850-5. | |||
| * United States Library of Congress (1781). ''George Washington Papers''. Online: . | |||
| * United States Library of Congress. . Retrieved January 18, 2003. Most of the initial text of this article was copied from this public domain source. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| *{{CongBio|H000149}} | |||
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Revision as of 15:33, 21 November 2006
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