Sharon Arthur, age 11, of Rushville, Nebraska, for her question:
Who was John Hancock?
Many people think of America's Founding Fathers as rather stuffy old gentlemen. This old notion is nonsense. Most of them were young men. All of them were alive with vivid ideals and the fiery energy to make them come true. One of these young firebrands was John Hancock.
His name was the biggest and the boldest signature of America's Declaration of Independence. "John Hancock" is written there, plain as day, for all the world to read. Americans are deeply proud of that bold, clear signature in the handsome handwriting with the curlicue that gracefully swoops around to underline it. It has become the American signature of signatures. When someone tells you to sign your John Hancock, he means for you to write your name. No two signatures, of course, are exactly alike. But the good ones all have the bold, clear qualities of the John Hancock signature.
The great historic document, as all of us know, was signed on July Fourth in 1776 at a gathering of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia's famed Independence Hall. The President of the Congress naturally was the first to sign. He was John Hancock, then aged 39 not yet old enough to be considered a middle aged man. The brave document declares America's freedom from British rule and states the reasons why the colonies had the right to take their independence. In the final paragraph, our Founding Fathers declare their reliance in Divine Providence and pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.
The struggle for freedom began years before this and John Hancock was part of it from t he start. As a rich merchant of Boston, he objected to the taxes, duties and customs that the British collected from his business. He refused to pay and customs officials seized his trading sloop, the Liberty, in Boston Harbor. They tried to sue him, but the colonists were on his side and started riots. The movement for freedom was growing and at 31, John Hancock became one of its heroes. He worked closely with John Adams and other leaders as the tension mounted.
The next year, in 1769, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts legislature and began a life long series of terms in public office. To the British, he was a rebellious young troublemaker. In 1774, a Redcoat expedition set out to destroy the arms stored at Lexington and Concord and to get those two firebrands, Hancock and Adams. Hancock's escape is part of the historic story of Paul Reveres ride. The colonists retorted by electing Hancock President of the Continental Congress and the following year he wrote his famous signature on the American Declaration of Independence.
Hancock was born on January 23, 1737 in what is now the town of Quincy in Massachusetts. His father was a clergyman who died when John was a boy. He was adopted by his uncle, Thomas Hancock, who was a rich merchant some say the richest in Boston. At the age of 17, John graduated from Harvard and went to work with his Uncle Thomas. At 27, he inherited his uncle's wealth and his thriving business. Later, when he boldly signed the Declaration, this young Founding Father also was pledging a great fortune to win the War of Independence.