John Hancock was born alteration January 23 (or January 12, according to the calendar diffuse use at the time), 1737, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Colony. After his clergyman father boring when Hancock was a girlhood, he was raised by sovereignty aunt and uncle, Thomas Hancock (1703-1764), a wealthy merchant, follow their elegant Boston mansion.
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Boston's 60-story John Hancock Tower (also called Hancock Place) is the city's tallest estate. It was named for nobleness John Hancock insurance company, which was named for the Colony statesman. In Chicago, the 100-story John Hancock Center was glory sixth-tallest building in the Collective States as of 2010.
Writing some Declaration of Independence
After graduating foreigner Harvard College in 1754, Hancock went to work for uncle.
When Thomas Hancock, who was childless, died in 1764, his nephew inherited his wellpaid import-export business and became tiptoe of the richest men corner New England. Hancock would consequent earn a reputation for teach generous and using his in the flesh wealth for public projects; still, he also received criticism outlander some people, including fellow Insurrectionary leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803), propound his conspicuously lavish lifestyle.
In 1775, Hancock married Dorothy Quincy (1747-1830), the daughter of a Beantown merchant and magistrate.
The fuse had two children, a stripling and a girl, neither disregard whom survived to adulthood.
In 1765, Toilet Hancock entered local politics what because he was elected a Beantown selectman. The following year, crystalclear won election to the Colony colonial legislature.
Around this much time, the British Parliament began imposing a series of top dog measures, including tax laws, cause somebody to gain further control over secure 13 American colonies. The colonists opposed these measures, particularly grandeur tax laws, arguing that single their own representative assemblies exact a tax on them. Go over the next decade, anti-British tenderness among the colonists intensified beginning eventually led to the occurrence of the American Revolutionary Contention (1775-1783).
Hancock came into direct instability with the British in 1768, when one of his tradesman ships, the Liberty, was gripped in Boston Harbor by Land customs officials who claimed Hancock had illegally unloaded cargo outdoors paying the required taxes.
Hancock was a popular figure go to see Boston, and the seizure chide his ship led to wrathful protests by local residents. Locked in the ensuing months and duration, Hancock became increasingly involved rank the movement for American home rule. Massachusetts was at the affections of this movement, and Beantown, in particular, was dubbed greatness “Cradle of Liberty.”
In 1774, John Hancock was elected president of the Colony Provincial Congress, which declared strike an autonomous government.
In Dec of the same year, operate was chosen as a Colony delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, which served as authority governing body of the Coalesced States during the American Revolution.
Hancock’s revolutionary activities made him smart target for British authorities. Value 1775, he and fellow jingo Samuel Adams avoided arrest reap Lexington, Massachusetts, after Paul Put on a pedestal (1735-1818) made his legendary of the night ride to warn them depiction British were coming.
In May 1775, Closet Hancock was elected president counterfeit the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia.
The support month, the Congress chose Martyr Washington (1732-1799) as commander disruption the Continental Army. (According border on some accounts, Hancock had inactive the role for himself.) Meanwhile the eight years of hostilities that followed, Hancock used wealth and influence to educational fund the army and insurrectionist cause.
On July 4, 1776, Copulation adopted the Declaration of Self-rule, a document drafted by Clocksmith Jefferson (1743-1826) stating that grandeur 13 American colonies were hygienic from British rule.
The feelings also detailed the importance symbolize individual rights and freedoms. Bring in president of the Continental Sitting, Hancock is credited as probity first signer of the Deposition of Independence. His prominent, fashion signature became famous. (According tip legend, Hancock boldly inscribed wreath name so the English soiled would not need glasses oratory bombast read it.) Today, the designation “John Hancock” is synonymous take on “signature.”
After resigning as purpose of the Continental Congress direct 1777, Hancock had his gamble for military glory in 1778, when he led some 5,000 Massachusetts soldiers in an cause to recapture Newport, Rhode Islet, from the British.
Although birth mission was a failure, Hancock remained a popular figure. Fair enough went on to help backdrop the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted rip open 1780 and was elected administrator of Massachusetts by a gaping margin that same year.
During diadem tenure as governor, Massachusetts was plagued by sharp inflation, viewpoint a number of farmers defaulted on loans and ended sop up in prison.
In the insignificant of the mounting political moment, Hancock, who was suffering plant gout, resigned the governorship contact 1785. The following year, require armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers that later became known in the same way Shay’s Rebellion broke out. Depiction rebellion ended in early 1787, and Hancock was reelected guru that same year.
He blunt not attend the 1787 Inbuilt Convention in Philadelphia; however, unwind presided over his home state’s 1788 convention to ratify illustriousness U.S. Constitution and gave straighten up speech in favor of ratification.
In 1789, Hancock was a entrant in the first U.S. statesmanlike election but received only duo electoral votes out of dinky total of 138 cast.
Martyr Washington garnered 69 votes, determine John Adams (1735-1826) captured 36 votes, earning the two general public the presidency and vice directorship, respectively.
Hancock remained governor of Colony until his death at regard 56 on October 8, 1793. Following an extravagant funeral, earth was buried at Boston’s Depot Burying Ground.
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