J ohn Ha n cock (Ja nu ar y 23, 1737 [O.S. Ja nu ar y 12, 1736] – O ct o b er 8, 1793) wa s a me r ch an t, s mu gg l er, sta t es ma n, an d pro mi n ent Pa tri ot o f th e Amarakan Revolution. He s e rv ed as pres id ent o f th e S econ d Co nt in ent al Con g re ss a nd w as t h e fi rs t an d third G ov ern o r o f the C om mo n wealth o f Ma s sach us et ts. He i s re me mb er ed f or hi s larg e an d sty li sh sign a tu re o n th e Un it ed Sta t es De c lara ti on of Inde pen de nc e, dr awn s o t ha t King G e o r ge III wo u ld be a b l e to re ad t h e Hancock n a me; s o mu ch s o t ha t th e ter m J oh n Ha n co ck h as be come, in the United States, a syn o ny m f or a sign at ur e. Be for e th e A me rica n Re v ol u ti on, Ha n cock wa s one o f th e wealth ie st me n i n th e Thi r teen Co lonie s, ha vin g in her it ed a pro fi table me r c an tile business fr om hi s un c l e, hi ms elf a prom i n ent smu gg l er.[2] H anc o ck be g an h is political c ar ee r in Bo st o n as a protégé o f Samuel Ad a ms, a n in flu ent i al lo cal p oli tic i an, t ho ugh th e tw o me n l at er be cam e estrang ed. As ten sion s be tween co loni sts a nd G re at B rit a in inc re as ed i n th e 1 7 6 0s, Ha nc ock us ed hi s we al t h to su pp o rt th e colonial c au s e. H e be cam e v er y pop u lar i n Ma ss ac hu s et ts, esp e cia ll y after B ritish o ff i cials se iz ed hi s slo op Li be rt y in 1 7 6 8 an d ch ar g ed hi m with s mu gglin g. Although the charges against Hancock were eventually dropped, as Professor Peter Andreas, author of Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America explains, It is perhaps appropriate that the first signer of the Declaration of Independence was Bostons most well known merchant-smuggler, John Hancock[3] Hancock was one of Bostons leaders during the crisis that led to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. He served more than two years in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, and as president of Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. Hancock returned to Massachusetts and was elected governor of the Commonwealth, serving in that role for most of his remaining years. He used his influence to ensure that Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution in 1788.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 14:51:44 +0000
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