Today: On October 29, 1777, during the American Revolution, John Hancock resigned his position as President of the Continental Congress, citing prolonged illness. Before the revolution began, John Hancock was the richest man in New England, owning a massive mercantile business, and yet he decided to risk it all by throwing his lot in with the patriot cause. He attended the First Continental Congress as a delegate from Massachusetts, and was eventually elected the body’s President in May 1775, following the resignation of Peyton Randolph. During his time as President, he would make an indelible impact on American History by being the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. His signature is the most prominent on the document, with his handwriting being almost double the size of the others. Following his resignation on October 29, 1777, Hancock returned home to Massachusetts, where he continued to be involved with public life, playing an instrumental role in developing the state’s new constitution. In 1780, John Hancock would be elected as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ first Governor, serving for five years. Declining to run for reelection in 1785, Hancock went on to serve as President of the Massachusetts ratifying convention for the U.S. Constitution in 1788. As the convention drew to a close, it may have been a stirring speech delivered by Hancock that finally swayed the Massachusetts men towards ratification. John Hancock would eventually be reelected as governor of his native state, serving in that position nearly five more years before his death in 1793.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:02:01 +0000
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