John Hancock's signature

He served as Chairman of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777. Hancock was governor of Massachusetts from 1780 to 1785. In 1787, he defeated James Bowden in the election and served as governor again until 1793, when he pardoned Daniel Shays and other insurgent leaders after the Shays uprising was suppressed. After the Constitutional Convention, he presided over the Massachusetts Convention on Ratification of the Constitution.

American independence was called a revolution by later generations, but American independence was completely different from the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a class revolution, a revolution in which the bourgeoisie united with the common people to overthrow the aristocratic class. There was no class struggle for American independence. In this sense, it was a movement for the North American colonies to secede from Britain. It was a division, not a revolution. In the process of independence, the participants included rich and ordinary people, wealthy aristocrats, and all classes.

The leaders of the movement were the upper echelons of society, southern farmers and northern lawyers and businessmen, who held the real power of the colonies. They want independence in order to protect their existing power and pursue greater interests. From a constitutional perspective, American independence was indeed a revolution. It occurred because the British government unilaterally violated the laws it had made with the colonial people. The independence movement returned the constitutional power from the British government to the people of the North American colonies. In terms of national and government theory, it was also a revolution. The legitimacy of government changes in most countries before came from either religion or tradition. Only the legitimacy of American independence came from the French Enlightenment and Locke's theory of government. In this sense, independence was a revolution. From then on, people could create their own theory of government, whether it was utopian or idealistic, and as long as they could inspire the people, the national establishment could be changed. Thus, American independence gave all national revolutions since the 19th century a justification. However, revolution does not always mean progress, because if the United States had not been independent, slavery would have been abolished half a century earlier and the situation of the Indians would be much better. American independence is not about officials forcing people to revolt, but about people forcing officials to revolt. The fire of this anti-government movement was lit by three Bostonians, the Adams brothers and John Hancock.

Massachusetts was the second British colony in North America, but the land was barren and most of the locals were doing business. The colony has a vast area and a rapid population growth, making it a good place to do business. The hottest business is transporting British industrial products to North America, and then transporting North American raw materials there. The profits are huge. There are many businessmen like Massachusetts, of which the Hancock family is the richest. Thomas Hancock's father and brother were both pastors. Thomas started as a bookshop clerk and became the richest man in North America and the convener of the Boston Congress through business. He was the most powerful person in the area. He also became a professor at Harvard College through self-study. Thomas had no children. After his brother died, he adopted his nephew John, and Thomas had descendants.

In 1737, John Hancock was born in Breeze, Massachusetts. His father died when he was seven years old and his uncle Thomas adopted him. Like the rich kids in Boston, John Hancock entered Latin schools and entered Harvard College. John Hancock helped his uncle run the business after graduation and lived in England for a long time since 1760. In 1764, Thomas died of illness, and John Hancock returned to Boston and became the heir of the family, becoming the richest man in North America. John Hancock, like his uncle, was elected convener of the Boston Council and was the most powerful man in Boston. With a wealthy family, the best education, and long trading experience, John Hancock had an invaluable future. But by this time John Hancock was no longer satisfied with being a simple businessman. He still wanted to use his purse to gain the world.

The first big thing John Hancock faced after taking over the family was corporate taxation. In 1764, the British Parliament approved the Sugar Act, which prohibited North America from importing sweet wines from abroad and imposed taxes on imported sugar and various luxury goods. Customs and the British military strictly enforce the Sugar Act, and British officials hold blank detention warrants and have the right to search suspected houses. The British government and people felt that this tax code was fair because Britain and the colonies should treat taxes equally. In 1764, the British had to pay taxes in accordance with the law, but the colonial people did not have to. One can imagine the degree of autonomy of the colonies. Not only did the colonists not pay taxes, they also imported sugar from Britain's enemy, the French West Indies, because sugar there was cheaper than that in the British West Indies. In order to gain advantage and enrich the enemy, the British felt that these North American merchants were both mercenary and ungrateful. For this reason, the British Parliament legislated to impose a tax on sugar imports from the French West Indies and implemented it seriously. At that time, the Seven Years War between Britain and France had just ended. France was defeated and the British treasury was almost exhausted. Only the British colonies benefited, and they received development rights along the Ohio River. British MPs believed that everyone had to bear the war together, so they imposed a tax on imported sugar from the colonies.

In the past, he used to bribe tax collectors with £ 2,000 a year. John Hancock now pays 40,000 pounds a year in taxes under the Sugar Act. Forty thousand pounds was a lot of money at the time. Virginia gentleman Washington entered high society because he married the widow Martha, who owned a land worth 30,000 pounds. So John Hancock decided not to pay the money and publicly refused to pay the tax.

John Hancock avoided taxes through smuggling, and in 1765 the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. The law requires stamps to be posted on newspapers, licenses, leases and legal documents. Because the tax amount was small and all of it was used in the colonies, the United Kingdom took no money, and the tax law was easily passed in the United Kingdom. But the North American colonies unanimously opposed it, and the Stamp Act angered North American lawyers, priests, merchants, and planters. For John Hancock, smuggling became ineffective because bills of lading and contracts were subject to tax. But John Hancock saw an opportunity for the colonies to collectively resist taxes. John Hancock incited various forces in North America to form the Anti-Imported Goods Association and the Sons of Liberty Society. Trade between the colonies and Britain plummeted, angry people took to the streets, burned stamps, and tax evasion became open defiance.

John Hancock saw public opinion and repeatedly incited the local people to resist taxes. He continued to smuggle to avoid tariffs and organized people to openly resist taxes. Business partners in London were also notified that as long as the stamp duty was not withdrawn, no payment would be made. London merchants had to join the ranks of tax resistance. The colonies controlled local finances through elected councils, and the local government used taxes paid by locals. In order to confront Britain, the colonies established a principle of taxation: taxes and government spending of taxes must be approved by elected members. Officials are paid from local taxes, and the power to use taxes and pay officials 'salaries lies with the elected parliament. If the colonial authorities opposed members of parliament, the elected parliament would not pay salaries. As a result, the governors and local officials defied London's orders and dared not confront the local elected parliament. Boston was the center of Massachusetts and New England, and John Hancock was the richest man in North America and the most politically powerful man in New England. As a result, John Hancock used Parliament to confront the governor and continued to expand his influence. In 1766, John Hancock was elected to the Court of Massachusetts and in 1768 to the Assembly of Massachusetts. For the next two years, Parliament recommended him to the House of Lords every year, but he was rejected by the Governor because of his anti-British tendencies.

The boycott of British goods made British merchants very uncomfortable. They lobbied Parliament to abolish the Stamp Act and amend the Sugar Act in 1766. The people of North America are very happy that they have imported goods from the UK again, and trade has returned to normal. But for Britain, the problem has not been solved. In 1767, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townsend enacted the Townsend Act, which would reduce Britain's tax burden by increasing trade taxes on North America and impose taxes on paper, glass, lead and tea shipped to the colonies. He wanted to use the tax money to support colonial officials and garrisons. He also authorized colonial courts to issue blank arrest warrants. Legalized a search warrant that local people hate.

When the Townsend Act was implemented in Boston, it aroused resistance from local people, who besieged and beat customs officers. Britain sent two regiments of troops to this end. In 1768, as soon as the British army arrived in Boston, they arrested John Hancock. The charge is smuggling. The governor is confident that he has enough evidence to bring the chief backer of smuggling and resisting taxes to justice. But a few months later, John Hancock was out of prison. The charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence, except for the confiscation of a cargo ship. Governor Huchasen was extremely angry. John Hancock had strong evidence of smuggling and tax resistance, but he could not be convicted. Official lawyers cannot defeat the defendant lawyers. John Hancock, although rich, could hire the best lawyers. But his lawyers didn't charge him a penny, and his relationship with John Hancock was not something money could buy. As long as it is a case involving John Hancock, no amount of money the official can pay to hire him. John Hancock can be fearless because this person can be used by him.

John Hancock's defense lawyer was John Adams, the second President of the United States. The two John's friendship was extraordinary. They were neighbors when they were young. Their fathers were priests. They have been good friends since childhood. Adams later attended Harvard College. After graduation, Adams went to study law again. Adams's lawyers did a very good job. By the time it came to defend Hancock, he was already the busiest lawyer in Massachusetts. They were comrades in arms on tax resistance. In 1765, he was the first to oppose the Stamp Act and wrote to the colonial governor and the House of Lords, arguing that the Stamp Act was invalid. Elected to the Massachusetts Court in June 1770. Through John Adams, Hancock met another Adams, Samuel Adams, and the two Adams were cousins. Hancock and Samuel hit it off at first sight and became the best anti-British combination. In 1765, Samuel was elected to the Parliament of Massachusetts, and John Hancock was elected to the Parliament the following year, making the Colonial Parliament their tool against Britain.

Organized by Adams and Hancock, the tax resistance movement in Boston was lawless and the law was wiped out. The governor asked for British soldiers, so two British regiments came to maintain order. In the British army at that time, officers were bought with money and soldiers were prisoners. The troops carry their families, and the soldiers 'salaries are very low and cannot support their families, so the soldiers' families and soldiers work in the station to earn money. These people are all coolies, and the Boston coolie market has been severely affected, and the poor have been severely affected. This is what Samuel and Hancock want most. They have wealth and theory, but what they lack is people who engage in violence.

On the evening of March 5, 1770, a British officer quarreled with a young boy in the port. When they started fighting, the guard beat the young boy. After a while, the boy called his companions and began to throw snowballs at the guards. By the time Captain Preston arrived with his men, the situation was completely out of control. Amid the heated atmosphere, a soldier took the lead in shooting, killing five citizens and injuring six others. The angry citizens refused to leave until Governor Hechasen arrived and promised to try Captain Preston and his men for murder. At this time, the Boston Chronicle, funded by Hancock and published by Samuel, circulated the incident throughout the city, calling it the "Boston Massacre."

The day after the tragedy, Boston held a town hall meeting demanding that the British troops withdraw from Boston. After the meeting, Hancock, as a citizen representative, negotiated with Governor Huchasen and Garrison Commander Colonel Doremap to withdraw troops. When he heard that the other party only wanted to withdraw one regiment, Hancock slapped the table and stood up: "There are 4,000 people in the city ready to take up arms." "Hechasen and Dorimap's expressions changed drastically. This was naked rebellion. After thinking about it, the two men believed that the arrogant young man was bluffing and that they withdrew the British army from the city to Williamsburg to be safe. The Boston Massacre aroused anti-British sentiment in the colonies, and Hancock and Samuel took the opportunity to establish militias to one day deal with the British.

From stamp duty to the Boston Massacre, there has always been a popular revolt, and Samuel Adams has always been at the front desk. Although the Adams family is well-established. But Adams simply had no ability to publish newspapers and organize people. Everyone in Boston knows that the money behind the scenes is Hancock. Huchasen felt that Hancock's anti-British purpose was to resist taxes. Now that the taxes are gone, Hancock should be stopped. In 1771, the governor agreed to Hancock's appointment to the House of Lords. Hancock rejected him on the grounds that he was not interested in politics. Hancock is not interested in British politics, his interest is American independence. The tax resistance movement won a complete victory. What else could he want? It turned out that Hancock was no longer satisfied with the wealth brought by imported sugar and liqueur. He wanted greater wealth. To do this, he would abolish North American tax laws and lift Britain's trade restrictions on North America, which means breaking with Britain.

Britain's trade restrictions on North America are mainly trade with China, of which tea is the main source. Britain's trade with China is monopolized by the East India Company, and North American merchants cannot get their hands on it. They can only go to London to buy China goods, and their profits will be much less. North America has a huge market, and the wealth brought by directly importing tea from China is immeasurable. This was what Hancock had in the UK. Everything Hancock does is for this purpose, free trade.

In 1772, Huchasen persuaded the British Parliament to pay him and his subordinates from customs revenue so that they would no longer be subject to the colonial parliament. After the news broke, Samuel and Hancock organized citizens to protest that once the governor and his subordinates had financial independence, they would be out of parliamentary control, resulting in an arbitrary dictatorship. Hechasen defended that doing so was to reduce the burden on the colonies. Samuel and Hancock were at a loss. At this time, John Adams proposed the legal basis for North American independence. He said: The British Parliament has no legal relationship with the colonies, and the colonies only have a legal relationship with the British King. The establishment of colonies was approved by the British King, and the establishment of colonial governments was approved by the British King. The King of England was also the King of the colonies, and Parliament was only the Parliament of England, not the Parliament of the colonies. The colonies were loyal only to the British King, not to Parliament. The colonies were independent of the British Parliament and were both subordinates of the British King. The Governor should obey the Colonial Parliament and not the British Parliament. John Adams had a profound understanding of British politics and law, and he posed a problem for the British Parliament. In Britain, the British king is a virtual king, and power lies in Parliament. John Adams quoted history that loyal to the British king, the colonies and the British king had a subordinate relationship rather than with the British Parliament. The colonies and the British Parliament had the same status, and the relationship between them was a cooperative relationship. If cooperation was impossible, the colonies would only have independence.

In 1773, the East India Company, which was trading with the East, made two decisions to trade opium with China and monopolize the North American tea trade. The East India Company talked to the British Parliament and gave the East India Company a monopoly on selling tea in North America and agreed to pay taxes at the North American tax rate, so the cost of tea fell by half. Hancock sent someone to the British Parliament to protest against the East India Company's monopoly on tea in North America. Samuel and Hancock led a boycott of East India Company tea. In December of the same year, the East India Company brought its tea to the four major ports of North America. The Bostonians guarded the harbor to keep the tea from landing. The captain asked to return to England, and the governor told the captain that if he returned to England without unloading, he would be prosecuted for treason. Samuel's intransigence allowed him to take advantage of it. Had he been as moderate as the other colonial governors, the tea tax would have been abolished six months later. Samuel would have no chance to cause trouble, the American Revolution would not have occurred at that time, and Samuel would not have become the father of the American Revolution. God bless the American Revolution. At 5 p.m. on the 15th, Samuel climbed onto the East India Company's tea boat with hundreds of companions disguised as Indians, armed with axes and ropes. They chopped down tea boxes and sank more than 300 boxes of tea leaves to the bottom of the sea. Hancock and Samuel were excited as they waited for the attack of the British authorities.

At that time, there were two obstacles to North American independence: the British policy of tolerance and the Anglo-friendly moderates in North America. Due to Britain's strategic tolerance, it has repeatedly cooled down the anti-British sentiment in North America. Anglo-friendly moderates in North America believed that the North American colonies should negotiate with Britain to resolve disputes. After the Boston Tea Incident, Franklin believed that the shipowner should be compensated for his losses. In order to avoid another conflict, Franklin personally went to Britain to find a peaceful solution. The British Parliament rejected Franklin's suggestion, and the tea incident angered the British people, who demanded tough measures from the government. Under pressure from the people, the British Parliament passed the "Boston Port Act", closed the Port of Boston, sent more troops, forcibly expropriated civilian houses, and changed the governor from a civilian to a military attache. Terror shrouded Boston, confirming Samuel's "British autocracy" and the atrocities committed by the British army. The colonial people accustomed to freedom could not stand this, and George Washington, a gentleman from Virginia, had to lift the pole. At this point, independent revolution was inevitable.

In September 1774, the First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia, and all colonies except Georgia sent representatives to participate. Delegates agreed that the British Parliament had no power to control trade with the North American colonies or to make laws that affected the colonies, and that the people of the colonies had the right to participate in any legislative body that made laws for themselves. The General Assembly approved Massachusetts 'proposal that the people have the right to use arms for defense. Brother Adams is a delegate to the convention.

Finally, King George of England declared the colonial rebellion. The British Parliament decided to use force against the Massachusetts colony starting from January 1775, and troops and warships entered the colony one after another. Colonies such as Massachusetts also armed and established militias. In April of the same year, armed conflicts broke out between British troops in Lexington and Concord and local militia, and the North American War of Independence officially began. On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia. Sixty-six representatives attended the meeting, including Franklin, Jefferson and Hancock among the new representatives. Hancock was elected chairman of the meeting. At this time, the Continental Congress was already an organization of state power and played the role of the central government. On June 15, the conference passed resolutions establishing the Continental Army and appointing Washington as Commander-in-Chief. In October, the Navy was established. The Marine Corps was established in November. In December, the Continental Navy raised a flag for the first time with thirteen cross-lanes marking the union of thirteen colonies. This was the original American flag. On July 4, 1776, the conference adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the United States officially became independent. Hancock became the first head of state of the United States after independence.

In May 1787, representatives of the colonies convened a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. After more than four months of repeated debate and bargaining, the Constitution was finally adopted in September of the same year. The Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen colonies to take effect. The constitution nearly capsized during the ratification process in various colonies. In Massachusetts, Hancock was the main force in the opposition. But the Protectors elected him chairman of the state convention. The Protectors also agreed to serve as governor and elected him the first president of the United States. The opposition is also quite powerful. They accuse the constitution of being the product of the rich and ambitious, and that it will create two social classes, one is the rich ruling class and the other is the poor ruled class. The final voting result was a narrow victory for the defenders of the Constitution with 187 votes to 168 votes. People at that time and future generations believed that it was the constitutional defenders who took Hancock away.

Hancock served as governor of Massachusetts from 1780 to 1785, and again served as governor of Massachusetts from 1787 to 1793, until his death as governor on October 8, 1793.