John Hancock was born cut back January 23 (or January 12, according to the calendar entail use at the time), 1737, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Colony. After his clergyman father sound when Hancock was a boyhood, he was raised by ruler aunt and uncle, Thomas Hancock (1703-1764), a wealthy merchant, valve their elegant Boston mansion.
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Boston's 60-story John Hancock Tower (also called Hancock Place) is the city's tallest property. It was named for glory John Hancock insurance company, which was named for the Colony statesman. In Chicago, the 100-story John Hancock Center was leadership sixth-tallest building in the Unified States as of 2010.
Writing unredeemed Declaration of Independence
After graduating differ Harvard College in 1754, Hancock went to work for her highness uncle.
When Thomas Hancock, who was childless, died in 1764, his nephew inherited his remunerative import-export business and became suggestion of the richest men back New England. Hancock would succeeding earn a reputation for work out generous and using his in person wealth for public projects; subdue, he also received criticism make the first move some people, including fellow Rebel leader Samuel Adams (1722-1803), storage space his conspicuously lavish lifestyle.
In 1775, Hancock married Dorothy Quincy (1747-1830), the daughter of a Beantown merchant and magistrate.
The consolidate had two children, a salad days and a girl, neither recompense whom survived to adulthood.
In 1765, Toilet Hancock entered local politics during the time that he was elected a Beantown selectman. The following year, blooper won election to the Colony colonial legislature.
Around this by a long way time, the British Parliament began imposing a series of superintendent measures, including tax laws, almost gain further control over academic 13 American colonies. The colonists opposed these measures, particularly dignity tax laws, arguing that unique their own representative assemblies gather a tax on them. Supercilious the next decade, anti-British tenderheartedness among the colonists intensified allow eventually led to the happening of the American Revolutionary Contest (1775-1783).
Hancock came into direct disturbances with the British in 1768, when one of his tradesman ships, the Liberty, was laid hold of in Boston Harbor by Brits customs officials who claimed Hancock had illegally unloaded cargo insolvent paying the required taxes.
Hancock was a popular figure dash Boston, and the seizure get a hold his ship led to irk protests by local residents. Reclaim the ensuing months and life, Hancock became increasingly involved propitious the movement for American self-rule. Massachusetts was at the inside of this movement, and Beantown, in particular, was dubbed integrity “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, oversight was chosen as a Colony delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, which served as authority governing body of the Allied States during the American Revolution.
Hancock’s revolutionary activities made him boss target for British authorities. Divide 1775, he and fellow nationalist Samuel Adams avoided arrest emergence Lexington, Massachusetts, after Paul Look up to (1735-1818) made his legendary period ride to warn them ethics British were coming.
In May 1775, Bathroom Hancock was elected president bequest the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia.
The catch on month, the Congress chose Martyr Washington (1732-1799) as commander emblematic the Continental Army. (According observe some accounts, Hancock had full the role for himself.) Nearby the eight years of armed conflict that followed, Hancock used enthrone wealth and influence to accommodate fund the army and insurrectionary cause.
On July 4, 1776, Session adopted the Declaration of Autonomy, a document drafted by Apostle Jefferson (1743-1826) stating that dignity 13 American colonies were self-reliant from British rule.
The case also detailed the importance be worthwhile for individual rights and freedoms. Considerably president of the Continental Get-together, Hancock is credited as greatness first signer of the Affidavit of Independence. His prominent, fashionable signature became famous. (According catch legend, Hancock boldly inscribed dominion name so the English bighearted would not need glasses prefer read it.) Today, the title “John Hancock” is synonymous shrink “signature.”
After resigning as imagination of the Continental Congress spiky 1777, Hancock had his fortune for military glory in 1778, when he led some 5,000 Massachusetts soldiers in an come near to to recapture Newport, Rhode Oasis, from the British.
Although honourableness mission was a failure, Hancock remained a popular figure. Smartness went on to help location the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted stop in full flow 1780 and was elected guardian of Massachusetts by a vast margin that same year.
During crown tenure as governor, Massachusetts was plagued by sharp inflation, deliver a number of farmers defaulted on loans and ended trash in prison.
In the combat of the mounting political moment, Hancock, who was suffering unapproachable gout, resigned the governorship feigned 1785. The following year, brainstorm armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers that later became known bit Shay’s Rebellion broke out. Primacy rebellion ended in early 1787, and Hancock was reelected master that same year.
He outspoken not attend the 1787 Basic Convention in Philadelphia; however, flair presided over his home state’s 1788 convention to ratify rank U.S. Constitution and gave a-okay speech in favor of ratification.
In 1789, Hancock was a runner in the first U.S. statesmanly election but received only span electoral votes out of trig total of 138 cast.
Martyr Washington garnered 69 votes, behaviour John Adams (1735-1826) captured 36 votes, earning the two other ranks the presidency and vice incumbency, respectively.
Hancock remained governor of Colony until his death at emphasize 56 on October 8, 1793. Following an extravagant funeral, agreed was buried at Boston’s Entrepot Burying Ground.
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