John Hancock

John Hancock (1737 – 1793) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as a merchant, Patriot, and a statesman. His name became slang for a signature as he was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, and his name was the largest on the document.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Born in Massachusetts, Hancock was the son of the Reverend His father died when he was young, so Hancock was sent to live with his grandfather, the Reverend John Hancock Sr., in Lexington. When his grandfather died, John went to live with his prosperous uncle at Beacon Hill; when Thomas Hancock died, John inherited his shipping business.Assassin's Creed III – Database: John Hancock
John first became involved in the fight against the British when they confiscated his sloop the in 1768 on charges of smuggling. In 1769, the HMS Liberty was burned by Patriots, and this demonstration was one of the first acts of open defiance towards the British Royalists.
===American Revolutionary War===
In 1774, Hancock was elected to replace James Bowdoin in the Second Continental Congress. However, before Hancock reached Philadelphia, he was re-elected by the Provincial Congress in February of 1775. As such, Hancock gained major influence in Massachusetts, and posed a threat to the British.Assassin's Creed III
At the start of the war, Hancock and Samuel Adams were staying at the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington, then owned by the Reverend John Clarke. Major John Pitcairn prepared an assault on the town, intending to arrest them and avoid a violent revolution.Assassin's Creed III – The Midnight Ride
However, Paul Revere and the Assassin Connor arrived the night before, warning the two Sons of Liberty to leave, as the latter believed Pitcairn intended to kill them. Hancock was particularly reluctant to leave, wanting to fight alongside John Parker's militia. Hancock subsequently became President of the Continental Congress, where he met Connor again during the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.Assassin's Creed III – Public Execution
==Gallery==
ACIII-Midnightride 14.png|Revere telling Hancock and the others to escape
ACIII-Publicexecution 14.png|Hancock and the others at the signing of Declaration of Independence
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed III
==References==
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Category:1737 births
Category:1793 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Americans
Category:Merchants
Category:Politicians
Category:Governors of Massachusetts
Category:Sons of Liberty
Category:Continental Congress
Category:Founding Fathers
Category:Freemasons
Category:Patriots