John Hancock

John Hancock (born the January 12th 1737, dead the October 8th 1793) was the president of the Second continental Congress, during which it signed in first the Déclaration of independence of the United States of America. Of 1780 with 1785, he was the first governor of the State of the Massachusetts.

Youth and family

John Hancock was born with Braintree (Massachusetts) in a district which forms today part of the town of Quincy. Very young person, it becomes orphan of father and is adopted by his paternal uncle, Thomas Hancock, a commercial rich person of New England. After having followed the courses of the Boston Latin School, it enters to the Harvard University where it obtains its diploma in 1754, at 17 years. He works then for his uncle. Of 1760 with 1764, Hancock lives in New England where it weaves bonds with the customers and the suppliers of building site-naval of his uncle. Shortly after its return of England, his/her uncle dies and he inherits his fortune and his businesses, becoming thus one of the richest men of New England at that time. With died his/her aunt in 1776, it also inherits the Hancock Manor.

Hancock marries Dorothy Quincy (aunt of Dorothy Quincy, which bore the same name that his/her niece was the back grandmother of the American poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes) with which they will have two children, Lydia Hancock, in 1777, which will live only 10 months and John George Washington Hancock, in 1778, which will not see its ninth birthday.

Because of the celebrity of Hancock and frequency of its family name, many American persist in believing that they are its descendants, among them, one can quote the writer Ernest Hemingway. Since the two only known children of Hancock died before adolescence, this is impossible.

Beginning of its revolutionary career

As a member of the executive of the town of Boston, representing at the assembly legislative of Massachusetts and rich trading, Hancock, quite naturally the Stamp Act of 1765 must resist, which imposes a tax on the all commercial contracts.

The Stamp Act is rejected, but new laws (as the Townshend Acts) lead to the tax on the consumer goods. Hancock then starts to integrate the practice of smuggling of glass, lead, paper and the, in its trade. In 1768, at the time of a return of England, its Sloop Liberty is seized by the British customs for violation of the law on the customs duties. A riot, started by Bostonian which awaits these goods, bursts then.

Its marketing activities legal and less avowable are used to finance resistance to the British authority in the area, which leads to a joke on behalf of the inhabitants of Boston saying:

Sam Adams writes the letters (with the newspapers) and John Hancock pays the stamps of them.

The American revolution

Not being whereas the financier of the rebellion, Hancock becomes then a critic influential of the British form of government. The March 5th 1774, at the time of the fourth birthday of the Massacre of Boston, it makes a speech, condemning the British highly. The same year he is unanimously elected president of the provisional Congress of Massachusetts (English: Provisional Congress off Massachusetts ), then it chairs of it its Safety advice . Under the presidency of Hancock, Massachusetts raises troops of Minutemen and launches a boycott of the, imported by the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies, which will lead to famous the Boston Tea Party.

In April 1775, the intentions of the British being obvious, Hancock and Samuel Adams leave Boston not to be stopped, they reside then at Hancock-Clarke House with Lexington. It is there that Paul Revere comes to seek them around midnight before do not arrive the British troops for the Bataille of Lexington and Concord. At this point in time, the general Thomas Gage orders the arrest of Hancock and Adams for treason. After the battle a proclamation promises forgiveness with all those which will show their honesty with the Crown, except for Hancock and Adams. The May 24th 1775, Hancock is elected president of the Second continental Congress, succeeding Peyton Randolph. It will occupy mandate until the October 30th 1777, when Henry Laurens succeeds to him.

At the time of the first month of its presidency, the June 19th 1775, Hancock commissions George Washington as a Commander in Chief continental Armée. One year afterwards, it sends to Washington a copy of the resolution of the Congress, July 4th 1776, calling with independence ( Lee Resolution ) as well as a copy of the Déclaration of independence.

Hancock is the only one to sign the Declaration of independence on July 4th, the 55 other members of the Congress will sign it only the August 2nd. He also asks that Washington make read the declaration with the continental Army. According to a popular legend, it signed its name wholesale and most clearly possible, in order to make sure that the king George III can read it without his glasses, which made of its name in the United States a éponyme of “Signature”. However, other sources show that Hancock signed always in the same way.

Of 1780 with 1785, it is Gouverneur of Massachusetts. The talents of speaker of Hancock make the admiration of its contemporaries, but at the time of the revolution, he was especially recognized for his skill to raise funds and to obtain provisions for the American troops. In spite of its commercial talents, it however had some difficulties in ensure the pressing requests, in cattle, of the continental Congress aiming at nourishing to it famished mouths of the Army. The January 19th 1781, the Washington general informs Hancock:

I should not annoy your Excellence, with such requests reiterated concerning the provisioning, if it did not bring into play the safety of our stations on this river, and if the existence even of the army were not in question. From the extracts, attached, of a letter of the Heath major-general, you will include/understand our current location and our prospects. If the supply in cattle claimed by the requisitions of the Congress of your State, is not regularly delivered to the Army, I then any more to regard me as person in charge of the maintenance of the garrisons in lower part of West Point, New York, or of the maintenance of the least regiment on the ground. (United States Library off Congress, 1781.)

Posthumous homages and anecdotes

A tower in Boston (the John Hancock Tower ) and one of the principal skyscrapers of Chicago (the John Hancock Center ) currently bear its name. He was also member of freemasonry.

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