But the transaction contributed greatly to bring him into notice, and to increase his popularity. John was chosen as the Continental Congress president in the spring of 1775. His enemies accused him of an excessive fondness for popularity; to which fondness, envy and malice were not backward in ascribing his liberality on various occasions. Later that year, Hancock was appointed as the Massachusetts governor. John Hancock’s Role in the American Revolution, California – Do not sell my personal information. The Missouri Compromise: What Was it and How Did it Contribute to the Civil War? He did come back to the Congress briefly but left because he missed his wife and newborn son. However, he only received a small minority of the votes cast, with the presidency going to George Washington. Role in the American Revolution. While he is best remembered for his large, elaborate signature with a flourish on the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock was so much more than just a stylishly written name on a page. When the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, it was sent to a printer to be copied and distributed. Life of a patriot. His mansion displayed the magnificence of a courtier, rather than the simplicity of a republican. When Britain dissolved the Massachusetts House, members formed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and elected Hancock president of it. During most of the war, a victory for the Americans was far from sure, and those who were leading the revolution faced hanging or worse if they were captured by the British, or if the British won. Surprisingly, Hancock and Samuel Adams escaped being captured in Lexington, Massachusetts when Paul Revere historically shouted: “The British are coming!”. Hundreds of families, it is said, in times of distress, were daily fed from his munificence. Click Here to listen to the weekly podcast. Though those charges were eventually dropped, Hancock was firmly a colonialist after that, supporting the idea of American independence almost from the beginning. Hancock negotiated with the British after the Boston Massacre and was successful in getting them to remove their troops from the town, an act which got him re-elected to the Massachusetts House quite easily. This singling out of them this way solidified their reputations as American patriots and leaders of the Revolution. Thus, John became known as one of the wealthiest businessmen on the Northeast Coast. In June 1775, George Washington was selected as the Continental Army’s commander (a position that Hancock had alleged wanted for himself). While he worked for Thomas, John learned a lot about the export company and planned to become a partner. A Philadelphia baker advertised the sale of mammoth bread. Scott Michael Rank, Ph.D., is the editor of History on the Net and host of the History Unplugged podcast. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5eaffbf43f1ac32c For almost a decade, Hancock utilized his status as a wealthy businessman to contribute funds to the military and the revolutionary cause. What Were Your Ancestors Doing in the 1900s? After a lavish burial ceremony, John was laid to rest at the Granary Burying Ground in Boston. He was childhood friends with future fellow revolutionary, John Adams (a cousin of Samuel Adams), who his father had baptized. Declaration of Independence. He was a merchant and statesman and served as the president of the Second Continental Congress, where the Declaration of Independence was written and ratified. Mr. Thomas Hancock was a man of enlarged views; and was distinguished by his liberality to several institutions, especially to Harvard college, in which he founded a professorship, and in whose library his name is still conspicuous as a principal benefactor. Of the character of Mr. Hancock, the limits which we have prescribed to ourselves, will permit us to say but little more. Malevolence, during some periods of his public life, aspersed his character, and imputed to him motives of conduct to which he was a stranger. Notwithstanding the secrecy with which that expedition was planned, these patriots, who were at the time members of the provincial congress at Concord, fortunately made their escape; but it was only at the moment the British troops entered the house where they lodged. Standing armies are sometimes, (I would by no means say generally, much less universally,) composed of persons who have rendered themselves unfit to live in civil society; who are equally indifferent to the glory of a George, or a Louis; who for the addition of one penny a day to their wages, would desert from the Christian cross, and fight under the crescent of the Turkish sultan; from such men as these what has not a state to fear? It would be regarded in England as treason, and expose any man to the halter or the block. In 1774, John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, which declared itself an autonomous government. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. -- or why have I seen an honest father clothed with shame; why a virtuous mother drowned in tears? Copyright © 2009—2020 by The JDN Group, LLC. Samuel Adams was the clerk of the House at the time. Hancock, from this time, became as odious to the royal governor as his adherents, as he was dear to the republican party. After an interval of two years, he was re-elected to the same office, in which he was continued to the time of his death, which took place on the 8th of October, 1793, and in the 55th year of his age. //-->. "But I gladly quit this theme of death -- I would not dwell too long upon the horrid effects, which have already followed, from quartering regular troops in this town; let our misfortunes instruct posterity to guard against these evils. But because of his personal connections through the House of Hancock, he was an important and respected member of his community. At the time, there actually was no order to arrest Hancock and Adams, and Hancock actually wanted to take to the field to help the colonial soldiers fight, but Adams convinced him he was more valuable as a political leader. However, he stepped down from the political position in 1785 due to health issues.

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