America Let's not forget The First Signer of the Declaration of Independence John Hancock

America let's not forget our Signers of the Declaration of Independence

The First Signer, John Hancock

John Hancock came from a poor family.

when he was in his youth he left his family.

and went to live with a rich uncle but he never forgot about his family.

The separation brought him agony.

John was able to graduate from college which led him to be secure financially.

Samuel Adams was able to recruit John Hancock to the new patriotic family. They were called the Liberty Party.

John Hancock put together the Minutemen, they were called that because they were known to be able to get ready in 60 seconds to defend their patriotic party.

John Hancock's ship named the Liberty was seized by the British.

John went on to give a speech that the 13 colonies should form an independent nation called the United States of America to free themselves of high taxation from Britain.

The British were high taxing everything including tea.

The 13 colonies wanted to be free. 

The British came after John because of his rebellion towards the British.

But Paul Revere came riding in with a stern warning, saying, "the British are coming." 

They were mainly coming after Samuel Adams and him. But, John refused to leave, he insisted that he wanted to fight with his Minutemen that he put together to defend the Liberty Party.

The Minutemen fought the Battle of Lexington on the village green, it was the start of the Revolutionary War.

John Hancock went on to be the President of Congress.

He became popular with the people. He was the first person to sign boldly, the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

In 1780 he was elected the first state governor of Massachusetts. He served for 11 years. He was still serving as governor when he died.

During his lifetime he married once to Dolly Quincy. He fathered two children, but they both died in their childhood. He died at the age of 56 years-old. It was told that John Hancock in his lifetime made many sacrifices financially for the Liberty Party. He became the money that funded the Liberty Party. They wrote the letters but he paid for the stamps.

P. Kelley