John Hancock Counting House

Known for his famous signature, and always in the middle of revolutionary activity, John Hancock was a Harvard graduate, wealthy businessman, popular politician, and highly involved with the Sons of Liberty. His stance with the Boston Whigs maintained his popularity in the colonies but also branded him a smuggler as he boycotted British goods and smuggled others in.

The British had established the American Board of Commissioners in the fall of 1767 to step up the collection of customs mandated under the Townshend Acts. The new board wanted to show the government would no longer turn a blind eye to smuggling. They could use the wealthy and popular John Hancock to send that message. This set the stage for the Liberty Affair which is seen as one of the first major events leading to the revolution.

Following that John Hancock remailed a patriot through the Revolution finally ending with his position as Mass State Governor until his retirement.

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John Hancock was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, on January 23, 1737. He lived with his parents until the age of seven and was sent to live with his merchant uncle after his father died. His uncle Thomas Hancock owned the House of Hancock, which imported European goods and traded domestically. Growing up, Hancock received his education from the Boston Latin School and, at age 8, received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College (now University). After receiving his degree, he continued working with his uncle, establishing new trading ports, and creating political and commercial relationships. Hancock was sole inheritor of his uncles’ entire fortune in 1765.

Hancock loved politics more than business. In 1765 he was elected a selectman of Boston. His election came at a moment when colonial resistance to the Acts of Parliament was intensifying, and Hancock allied himself with the Boston Whigs. Initially Hancock wasn’t opposed to the Stamp Act as he was aware of the debt accrued by the French and Indian War, but after witnessing protests and unrest within Boston he changed his stance. By participating in the protest and boycotting British imports he became extremely popular. This helped him become elected in the Mass House of Representatives in 1766.

While in office, Parliament passed the Townshend Act, which directly affected American trade—items such as tea, glass, paper, and lead. The act led to smuggling within the colony to avoid paying a tax on the products causing British ships to begin illegally searching a sizing ship off the American coast. British Customs tried to search his vessel “Lydia” and he demanded to see warrants authorizing the search. When the officials couldn’t produce them, he asked them to leave.

According to Thomas Kirk, the customs officer, The Liberty arrived in Boston loaded with Madeira wine and offered the standard bribe. He refused it so the ships captain, John Marshall, had him locked in a hold where he overheard a great portion of the ship’s cargo be offloaded. When officials boarded with proper papers under the smuggling suspicion they saw only 25 casks of wine, a quarter of the ship’s capacity. Out of fear of John Marshall and lack of British support during the incident Thomas Kirk did not release the full story until he was away from the situation.

Although the customs agents did not have proof, the British proceeded to tow the Liberty to a position under the watch of the 50 guns of the HMS Romney. The Romney wasn’t there to defend the colonials; it was there to police them. The Romney’s captain, John Corner, had been ordered to do nothing to inflame the colonists and to make sure his sailors behaved. Corner, however, had requirements of his own. His ship needed men, and he began pressing (essentially kidnapping) sailors on in-bound ships into service. As word spread, even honest vessels, let alone smugglers, stayed away from the port of Boston, fearful of losing seamen. Now the British had angered honest merchants as well as the smugglers.

With tension already in the air, the seizure of the Liberty caused a riot of up to 3,000 sailors and colonists searching for the Comptroller and official Collector who had decided to seize the ship. Unable to find the men, the crowd satisfied themselves with shattering the windows on his house and seizing Harrison’s pleasure boat, dragging it from the water and hauling it up the street to the Liberty Tree, condemning it and burning it to ashes. (See Liberty Tree) The Liberty Affair is seen as one of the first major events leading up to the American Revolution.

Due to the rowdy nature of the crowd, British officials had left and later filed lawsuits against Hancock. The charges were dropped with John Adams as his lawyer, but his reputation suffered from being seen as a smuggler. As for the ship, the British kept the Liberty and refitted her to serve as a Royal Navy ship in Rhode Island patrolling for customs violations. HMS Liberty seized two Connecticut ships and then was burned by an angry Rhode Island mob.

As tensions between colonists and the British rose, Hancock continued to participate in resistance by leading meetings regarding the Tea Act and the Coercive Acts. Hancock's popularity guaranteed him election to every political post he sought, and in 1774 he was chosen as a member of the Massachusetts delegation to the First Continental Congress. He was elected to discuss the revolution's goals and plan the next steps for the colonies. Due to his position, living in Boston was not safe due to being a target of the British. Hancock moved to his grandfather's home in Lexington to escape the British. His impressive home on Beacon Hill (See Beacon Hill) was seized by the British and used for their headquarters.

On the night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren received news that British troops, under Thomas Gage's command, age, were heading toward Lexington to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Warren sends three-midnight riders, including Paul Revere, to warn that the "Regulars are coming.” (British soldiers) Once warned, Hancock wanted to fight as he held the status of colonel in the Massachusetts militia. Adams and Revere convinced him otherwise, stating that his service as a politician was more valuable than risking his life on the battlefield. Soon after their escape, the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, officially starting the Revolutionary War.

He presided over the chamber during the discussion concerning the appointment of a commander in chief for the Continental Army. It is likely that he saw himself as a candidate for the post and was deeply disappointed when both John Adams and Samuel Adams rose to nominate George Washington. This jealousy may be why much later on he refused to greet Washington when Washington visited Boston on his tour of the eastern states in 1789. Nearly the whole town turned out to greet him except the Governor. Asserting Hancock’s position as governor, he felt that protocol required the President should come to him. Hancock quickly realized his political mistake and later visited Washington, claiming that illness had prevented him from arriving sooner.

After the first battle at Lexington and Concord, Hancock returned to Philadelphia, where he was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. During his time as president, committees were formed to aid the revolution, including the Marine Committee, which was responsible for creating the first U.S. (United States)—Navy fleet. In 1776, Hancock oversaw the creation of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 4, 1776, John Hancock was the first to sign the document with a large cursive signature, stating, "There, John Bull (England) can read my name without spectacles; he may double his reward." Hancock continued to serve as president of the congress until 1777 when he left and took the position as governor of Massachusetts, where he served until 1785.

-Source Links-

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-hancock

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/john-hancock/

https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-liberty-affair-john-hancock-loses-a-ship-and-starts-a-riot/

https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2016/12/07/stepping-onto-long-wharf-and-into-history-the-day-the-british-came-to-boston/