Hancock, John (1737-1793)

US politician and a leader of the American Revolution. As president of the Continental Congress 1775-77, he was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence of 1776. Because he signed it in a large, bold hand, his name became a colloquial term for a signature in the USA. He was governor of Massachusetts 1780-85 and 1787-93.

Hancock was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard in 1754, and became a merchant in Boston. When the Revolution broke out, he was one of the leaders of the provincial assembly of Massachusetts. In popular belief, his signature on the Declaration of Independence was written large so that it would be big enough for George III to see. Hancock coveted command of the Continental Army, deeply resenting the selection of George Washington. In 1788 he presided at the state convention to ratify the US Constitution.