Vital Statistics

Biography

John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, wrote his name on the Declaration of Independence with such a bold flourish that it became synonymous with 'signature.' As a wealthy Boston merchant, he was a crucial early financier of the revolution. His willingness to preside over the rebellious Congress and to so prominently endorse its treasonous declaration was an act of immense courage, making him a primary target of the British Crown and a symbol of American defiance.