The term John Hancock is a modern day synonym for
signature in the United States. John Hancock is best known for his signature on
the Declaration of Independence because it’s so large. Even though there were
56 signers on the Declaration of Independence, he typically is the one we remember
first. A lesser-known fact is that he was also the first person to sign the
Declaration. Maybe this explains why his signature is so large; everyone else
just wrote smaller? Actually, there are a couple of reasons why he signed so
largely.
John Hancock was born on January 23, 1737. His father
died when he was seven and so he lived with his wealthy Uncle Thomas and Aunt
Lydia in Boston, Massachusetts on the west edge of the Common. Hancock lived in
a huge house (with 54 windows), dressed in expensive clothing, had a fabulous
red curtain that draped around his bed, could eat plum cake any time he wanted
it, and could ride any number of horses from the stable. Basically, he grew up
in extreme wealth.
Hancock wanted nothing more than for people to like
him, and they did; he was attractive, friendly, kind, generous, and threw
amazing parties. But his kindness and generosity and amazing parties weren’t
without their purpose. His goal was to get everyone to like him so much that
they would elect him to public office; and to get elected he knew he needed to
gain admiration and be noticed. To be noticed he dressed in exquisite
embroidered satin, velvet and lace, wore gold and silver on his shoes…the
richest clothing that he could find. When Hancock was 27 his uncle died and he
inherited his massive fortune. It was enough to make Hancock the richest man in
New England and the second richest man in America. Wow, that is massive. And so
now more people did take notice of John Hancock.
Samuel Adams certainly took notice. Adams was a
politician in Massachusetts who wanted to stop England from bothering America
and he decided that John Hancock was the man to do it – because of his massive
fortune and popularity. So Samuel Adams made sure that Hancock was elected to
office as a selectman (a member of the governing board for the town of Boston).
In 1765 England enacted the Stamp Act on America. This
imposed 55 different taxes on traded goods. John Hancock owned 20 ships that
transported these taxable goods: whale oil, fish, lumber, cloth, paper, books,
furniture, wine, salt, leather…you get the idea. Hancock said that there was
not a person on earth or a single thing in the world that would make him pay a single
cent of that “damned tax.” The Patriot Party and other Americans agreed. When
England repealed the tax, Hancock threw an over-the-top party at his house (to
celebrate and of course to increase everyone’s admiration of him). Flags
adorned his house, tables were piled high with food, and when the townspeople gathered
in droves on the Common, he opened his doors to everyone for the grandest party
ever thrown in Boston. He brought out a 126-gallon cask of Madeira wine for
people on the Common who couldn’t fit into the house. And at the end of the
night, fireworks lit up the sky. John Hancock did everything in the grandest
style to ensure that he was admired and popular.
So by this time John was well noticed and extremely
popular and became one of Boston’s four representatives to Massachusetts’
governing body. He played his new position up big time. He would showboat
around in one of his 9 modes of transportation: several chariots, a chaise, a
sulky, a kittereen, sleighs... And when he felt people weren’t paying enough
attention to him, he would give them very generous gifts – coins to children, a
fire engine or concert hall or bandstand or lime trees to the town – generous
gifts indeed. But he gave the gifts for the attention he received and not so
much the needs of the recipients.
Anyhow, in 1767 England tried again to tax Americans.
John Hancock refused to pay. In April of 1768 tax inspectors boarded one of
Hancock’s ships. Hancock and his strongmen refused to let them inspect. Another
time they locked an inspector in a cabin while they unloaded. This made King
George furious, so the King put John Hancock’s name on his “Dangerous
Americans” list. By 1775 it was clear that war between England and the Colonies
was inevitable. Massachusetts had formed their own government and made John
Hancock the president. The King then moved Hancock’s name to the very top
position of his “Dangerous Americans” list and put a price of 500 pounds on
Hancock’s head. English troops marched into Concord looking for weapons and
John Hancock; John Hancock evaded the English army by fleeing to Philadelphia.
Hancock was a delegate from Massachusetts to the
Continental Congress, a meeting of representatives from all of the Colonies.
They met in Philadelphia to discuss what to do about England. A couple of weeks
later they were suddenly without a president of the Congress. The members of
Congress voted unanimously for John Hancock to be its new president. This would
show the King how they felt about him and his “Dangerous Americans” list. John
Hancock was in his element, the center of attention, admired, wearing his
finest clothes and making important decisions. And signing his name to these
important decisions he absolutely loved to do.
Over the years John Hancock practiced writing various
styles of his signature using underlines, curlicues, and underlines with
curlicues. By the time he became president of the Second Continental Congress,
his signature became larger with more swoops and swirls including back and forth
underlines that were entwined with curlicues. In the spring of 1776, Congress
discussed whether or not America should declare their Independence. On July 2nd
they agreed yes, they should. It took two more days to agree on the wording and
another month for the final to be drafted on parchment for members to sign.
John Hancock was first to sign. With his fancy lace
cuffs flipped back, he dipped the quill pen into the inkstand and then signed
his name – very large. “There! King George the Third can read THAT without his
spectacles. Now he can double his reward for my head.” This is the most
commonly accepted reason that John Hancock signed his name so large on the
Declaration of Independence: so that King George could no doubt read it without
his glasses. It was an “in your face King George” move. But the vain and egotistical
and side of John Hancock, that liked to showboat about and throw fabulous
parties and give generous gifts in return for praise, also knew that if America
won the war, he would be praised and admired and honored as the first signer of
the Declaration of Independence. He was making history. And being the first to
sign America’s Declaration of Independence was his pinnacle “look how great I
am” moment.
Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.
Want to know all 56 signers of the Declaration of
Independence? Find it here: