John Hancock

Gracie Smith
MSMU Class of 2027

(7/2025) I’d like to start this article by prefacing that it is my favorite one to write. Commemorating time to acknowledge all of those who worked to design our great nation is something that more ought to do. It’s important that people are educated on how our country came to be and what impactful figures led to certain ratifications, acts, and negotiations. That all said, let’s talk about John Hancock.

Disclaimer: No, he’s not related to Winfield Scott Hancock. I was a little disappointed myself to find this out, having chosen this individual, thinking they were related. However, this individual did not disappoint when it came time to research.

John Hancock, born January 23, 1737, was more than just a founding father. He was a merchant, a statesman, and a notable patriot of the American Revolution. Coming from an extremely wealthy Massachusetts family, Hancock served several terms as the second president of the Second Continental Congress and the seventh president of the Congress of the Confederation, as well as the first and third governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Needless to say, this man had lots of experience.

Hancock’s father passed away in 1744, leaving him to be raised by his uncle and aunt, Thomas Hancock and Lydia Hancock. Thomas Hancock was the proprietor of a firm known as the House of Hancock, which imported British goods and exported things like rum, oil, and fish. This highly successful business made him one of the wealthiest and most well-known men in Massachusetts at the time. Thomas and Lydia Hancock, having no children of their own, became the most prominent influence on John Hancock, having raised him and left him their estate and fortune upon their passing.

John Hancock attended the Boston Latin School in 1750, then enrolled in Harvard College to receive his bachelor’s degree in 1754. Around his graduation from Harvard, the French and Indian War was starting. I could write a whole article about this, alas, not today. During this time, Hancock learned a lot from his uncle’s business, preparing for his partnership. This was when he began to develop a fondness for his aristocratic role and wealthy clothes.

Like most people of this time - Jefferson and Franklin, I’m looking at you - John Hancock went to live in England to develop relations with English customers and suppliers for his business. Once he returned to Boston, Hancock began to fully take over the House of Hancock as his uncle’s health failed, becoming a full partner in January of 1763.

Following the years of his uncle’s death, Hancock emerged as a leading political figure in Boston just as tensions with Great Britain were rising. In March 1765, Hancock was elected as one of Boston's five selectmen, an office previously held by his uncle for many years. Soon after this, Parliament passed the Stamp Act of 1765, which produced riots and organized resistance across the colonies. Hancock joined the resistance to the Stamp Act of 1765 by participating in a boycott of British goods, which made him wildly popular in Boston. After Bostonians learned of the impending repeal of the Stamp Act, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in May of 1766.

Now, onto the Declaration of Independence. As many people probably aren’t aware, Hancock was President of Congress when the Declaration of Independence was signed. However, Hancock is not primarily remembered for this, but rather his large, flamboyant, overly dramatized signature on the Declaration of Independence. So much so that "John Hancock" became, in the United States, an informal synonym for signature. It was tossed around that Hancock did that intentionally so that King George would be able to read his signature without his glasses. Nevertheless, this was proven apocryphal.

Hancock, being President of Congress, sent a copy of the Dunlap broadside, a local printed paper, to George Washington and instructed him to have it read to the troops "in the way you shall think most proper". I wish I knew how Washington decided to go about this, and what the troops thought of the recently signed Declaration.

In October of 1777, Hancock requested a leave of absence to go back to Boston. With this request, he had informed Washington of his desire to have soldiers escort him on his journey home. Despite Washington’s true lack of soldiers, he somehow pulled enough strings to fulfill Hancock’s request. At this point, it is evident how much Hancock was living up to his aristocratic title.

Back in Boston, Hancock was re-elected to the House of Representatives. As in previous years, his philanthropy made him popular. Although his finances had suffered greatly because of the war, he gave to the poor, helped support widows and orphans, and loaned money to friends. I have to admit, during my research, I didn’t expect Hancock to display such modesty after growing up wealthy and then inheriting a highly successful business.

Even later, during the election of 1789, Hancock was put forth as a candidate in the 1789 Presidential election. Hancock did not campaign or even publicly express interest in the office; he instead made his wishes known indirectly. Like everyone else, Hancock knew that Washington was going to be elected as the first president, but he may have been interested in being vice president, despite his poor health. He received only four electoral votes in the election; however, none of them from his home state; the Massachusetts electors all voted for John Adams, who received the second-highest number of electoral votes and thus became vice president. Although Hancock was disappointed with his performance in the election, he continued to be popular in Massachusetts.

John Hancock died of poor health at the age of 56, on October 8th, 1793. Having lived such a short life, in comparison to our time, Hancock is yet another person we have to thank for the creation of our Declaration. This 4th of July let’s take some time to reflect on how our nation started. Happy 4th of July everyone!