Road to Liberty: John Hancock

John Hancock, born on January 23, 1737, in Braintree, Massachusetts, is widely remembered for his prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence. His contributions to the founding of the United States extended far beyond that moment.

After his father’s death in 1744, Hancock was raised by his wealthy uncle, Thomas Hancock, a successful Boston merchant. This afforded him a strong education, and he graduated from Harvard College in 1754 at age 17. He then apprenticed in his uncle’s mercantile business and upon his uncle’s death in 1764, inherited a large estate, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.

Hancock entered politics in 1765, holding several local offices before joining the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, the colony’s Patriot-led governing body. He actively opposed British taxation policies, including the Stamp Act, and supported boycotts against British imports.

In 1768, British officials seized Hancock’s ship, the Liberty, for allegedly smuggling wine. Though charges were dropped, the event galvanized colonial resistance and raised Hancock’s profile as a Patriot leader.

Hancock was elected to the Continental Congress, serving twice as its president between 1775 and 1786. On July 4, 1776, he became the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, with a signature famously so large, that as legend has it, King George III would be able to see it without reading glasses. 

After the war, Hancock returned to Massachusetts, where he served multiple terms as governor from 1780 until his death in 1793. He played a key role in Massachusetts’ ratification of the U.S. Constitution and supported the Bill of Rights. Hancock died on October 8, 1793, at age 56.