John Hancock was a merchant and politician from Massachusetts who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts and attended Harvard College, graduating at age 17. After inheriting a large fortune from his uncle, he became one of the richest men in America. Hancock was a leader in the revolutionary movement and served as the first and third Governor of Massachusetts. He is best remembered for boldly signing his name large on the Declaration of Independence.

1. JOHN HANCOCK
Fighter for independence

2. WHERE WAS HE BORN AND RAISED?
• John was born in Quincy, Massachusetts
• He moved to Boston after his father died to live with his uncle Thomas
Hancock, who was a very wealthy, successful merchant and with his wife
Lydia.
• These pictures are of Thomas Hancock Lydia, and a map of Boston
• These

3. WHERE DID JOHN HANCOCK GO TO SCHOOL
AND WHAT DID HE MAJOR IN?
• John went to Harvard college at the age of thirteen and majored in business
• He graduated Harvard at the age of seventeen and worked for his uncle as a merchant.
• These pictures are of Harvard college in the 1700s and a colonial merchant.

4. WHAT WAS HIS EARLY ADULTHOOD LIKE?
• John’s uncle died when he was twenty-six years old and, his uncle left him a lot of money
so John was one of the richest men in America.
• Here is a picture of colonial merchants like the young John Hancock before polotics.

5. • John was nominated to be the president of the first Continental Congress, but he didn’t
win the first time.
• He was a member of the congress from 1777- 1786.
• He was elected as the fourth president and the thirteenth.
• He served as governor of Massachusetts for nine terms.
• This picture is of John presiding as president of the Continental Congress.

6. THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
• The 1773 Boston tea party was when the colonists were bringing in tea from the east
India company and England.
• The colonists went to the Boston Harbor and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor while
John Hancock stood on guard.
• This was happening because people were revolting about the British taxes .
These pictures are of the Boston tea

7. SIGNING THE DECLARATION
• John was the president of the Continental Congress in 1776 when he signed the
Declaration of Independence at the age of thirty- nine.
• He signed his signature so large because he wanted to get the attention of King George
III.

8. DEATH
• John Hancock died on October eighth, seventeen- ninety- three from a bad case of gout.
• His wife was by his side when he died.
• He was serving his ninth term as Governor of Massachusetts when he died at the age of
fifty- six.

9. HOW HIS LEGACY LIVES ON
• There is a building in Chicago named after John Hancock. It is one of the tallest buildings
in the world.
• There is a John Hancock tower in Boston, Massachusetts
• One of the largest insurance companies in the world was named after him.

10. WHAT IS HE REMEMBERED FOR THE MOST?
• John Hancock is remembered the most by his LARGE signature on the Declaration Of
Independence.
• People all over the world refer to a person’s signature as their “John Hancock”.

11. ENDING SLIDE
• Goodbye for now thank you for listening to hear my life story!
• I hope you enjoyed time traveling to the 1700s