John Hancock was born on January 12, 1737 in Braintree which is today known as Quincy, Massachusetts. John Hancock was an orphan who was adopted by a rich uncle who did not have any children.

John Hancock attended Harvard College and graduated at the age of 17. He graduated from Harvard as a merchant.

After John Hancock graduated from Harvard, he was so trusted by his fellow people in the business industry that he set out on a business trip to England. In 1760, he began on his trip. While he was in England, he saw the crowning of King George III. Also while at the ceremony of crowning King George the III, he saw other business men being engaged into their jobs.

In 1763, John Hancock's uncle died. John Hancock inherited what was said to be the most expensive area of land in New England. Although he was a strong patriot, the area he inherited consisted mostly of Loyalists.

John Hancock quickly became involved in revolutionary politics. He strongly opposed the Stamp Act. Because he opposed it, he became a member of the Stamp Act Congress. After these events in his life, he wanted independence from Great Britain.

He then joined Samuel Adams in opposing Great Britain's rule of the colonies. In 1766, he was elected to the Boston Assembly.

In 1768, Hancock's boat, Liberty, was taken by the British because they thought that he was smuggling goods. Soon afterword, the ship was burned in a riot. Later, because of the burning of the Liberty, a group of private citizens stormed the customs post in Boston and beat the officers until they were forced to flee to a ship. They didn't know who did this, but it was most likely the patriots.

John Hancock helped in many of the patriot movements against the British. He helped in the Boston Tea Party. The following year he spoke to some people about what had happened at the Boston Massacre.

In 1773, he became a member and president of the Congress of Massachusetts. In 1774, he was elected as a member of the First Continental Congress where he represented Massachusetts.

In 1775, when the former president of the Continental Congress Peyton Randolph resigned, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. On July 4, 1776, he signed the Declaration of Independence. He signed his name the largest so that King George the III could read it without his glasses. Today some people say put your "John Hancock" here, which means put your signature here. So if you ever hear someone say put your "John Hancock" you now know what it means.

Image courtesy of ToKind from LeftJustified.

John Hancock retired in 1777 due to problems with gout, a disease that has to do with your big toe. He did not give up his life in politics, though. He kept working in public in Massachusetts. Soon afterwards he was elected to the Governorship of the state of Massachusetts. He served in this office for five years and the was re-elected in 1787. He served in that office until the time of his death in 1793.

The British had said that if anyone could capture one of the Sons of Liberty that there would be a reward. John Hancock was one of the Sons of Liberty. He said something about this at the signing of the Declaration of Independence,"The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward."