John Hancock
John Hancock was born in 1737 near Quincy, Massachussetts. His father was a clergyman of eminent piety, highly esteemed by his parishioners, but died when this son was an infant, leaving him under the guardian care of a wealthy uncle who sent him to Harvard College where he graduated in 1754.His uncle gave him a position at his counting house, and in 1760 sent him to England. His uncle died a year later, leaving his nephew his entire estate, supposingly the largest estate in the province at that time. br>
John Hancock became a Selectmen in Boston. In 1766 he was elected to the General Assembly where he exhibited talents of a high order as a statesman and was the chairman of important committees. He was also elected speaker, but the Governor, jealous of his rising popularity, put his beto on the election.
Boston Riots
Meanwhile, in Boston, there were outbreaks of several British regiments. The consequences were tragical. On the evening of 5th of March 1770, a party of these soldiers fired upon and killed five and wounded others of the citizens who had collected to manifest their indignation against those they hated more than they feared. The residents claimed that the event was as shattering as an earthquake, the city being being shaken to its core. The tolling of bells, groans of the dying and wounded, shrieks of mothers, widows and orphan, the flight of soldiers, the rush of the inhabitants, cry of revenge and fury rising into a tornado of vengeance, all combined to create a scene of consternation and horror.The following day a meeting was called and a committee was appointed to wait upon the governor to request him to remove the troops from the town, at the head of which were Samuel Adams and John Hancock. His excellency at first refused but finding that discretion was the better part of valor, at once ordered the soldiers to the castle. He also gave a pledge that the offenders should be arraigned and tried and thus restored transient tranquillity.
Hancock then portrayed vividly the wrongs inflicted by the mother country and urged his fellow citizens to vindicate their injured rights. On speaking of the massacre his language shows the emotions of his heaving bosom.
"I come reluctantly to the transactions of that dismal night, when, in quick succession we felt the extremes of grief, astonishment and rage; when Heaven, in anger, suffered hell to take the reins and when Satan, with his chosen band opened the sluices of New England's blood and sacrilegiously polluted her land, with the bodies of her guiltless sons. Let this sad tale be told without a tear, let not the heaving bosom cease to burn with a manly indignation at the relation of it through the long tracts of future time, let every parent tell the story to his listening children till the tears of pity glistens in their eyes or boiling passion shakes their tender frames." "Dark and designing knaves, murderous parricides! how dare you tread upon the earth which has drunk the blood of slaughtered innocence shed by your hands! How dare you breathe that air which wafted to the ear of Heaven the groans of those who fell a sacrifice to your accursed ambition!! But if the laboring earth doth not expand her jaws, if the air you breathe is not commissioned to be the minister of death, yet hear it and tremble! the eye of Heaven penetrates the darkest chambers of the soul and you, though screened from human observation, must be arraigned, must lift up your hands, red with the blood of those whose death you have procured, at the tremendous bar of God."
In 1774 Mr. Hancock was unanimously elected President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and in 1775 he was called to preside over the Continental Congress.
The Declaration of Independence
His was the only name affixed to the Declaration of Independence when first published! Impaired in health and worn down by fatigue, Mr. Hancock resigned his responsible station in Congress in October 1777.In 1780 he was elected the first governor under the new Constitution and continued to fill the gubernatorial chair five years when he resigned. At the expiration of two years he was again elected to that office and continued to fill that important station during the remainder of his life.
Problems in the new Government
During his administration there were many difficulties to overcome-many evils to suppress. The devastation of the war had paralyzed every kind of business-reduced thousands from affluence to poverty-polluted the morals of society and left a heavy debt to be liquidated. Conflicting interests were to be reconciled-restless spirits subdued and visionary theories exploded. A faction of 12,000 men threatened to annihilate the new government. Riots were of frequent occurrence-the civil authority was disregarded and it became necessary to call out the military to enforce order. By the prudence, decision and wise conduct of the Governor and those acting under him, all difficulties were adjusted-the clamor of the people hushed-order restored and but few lives sacrificed at the shrine of treason.Gov. Hancock was strongly in favor of the adoption of the Federal Constitution and left his sick bed in the last week of the session of the Assembly and did much by his advice and influence to induce his State to sanction that important instrument. He was ill until his death which occurred on the 8th of October, 1793.