MOURER,+j

= **__John Hancock__** = By: Joseph Mourer


 * John Hancock was born January 12, 1737 in Braintree, Massachusetts. After he graduated from Hardvard in 1754, at the age of 17, hancock entered his uncle's (Thomas Hancock, who will leave John a large fortune) mercantile house in Boston. In 1767 John became a selectman of Boston. Later he was a member of the Massachusetts General Court from 1769 to 1774. Then he was chairman of the Boston town committee formed immediately after the Boston Massacre in 1770 to demand removal of the British troops from the city. **

**In 1774 and 1775 John became president of the first and second provincial congresses, he shared with Sam Adams Massachusetts Patriots.** **With Adams he was forced to flee Lexington for Philadelphia when warned in April 1775 that he was being sought by General Thomas Gage's troops, approaching from Boston. Hancock was a member of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1780; he served as its president from May 1775 to October 1777. He hoped to become commander in chief of the Continental Army, but George Washington was selected instead.**

**One hardship he faced was that he got very involved in politics and so his focus was on freedom only.**

Five facts about John Hancock 1) Hard working 2) Focused 3) courageous 4) First to sign the Declaration of Independence 5) One of the reasons for the revolutionary war

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/hancock.htm
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