His large and stylish signature on the United States Declaration of Independence led to John Hancock or Hancock becoming a colloquialism for a person's signature. (Wikipedia)

Hancock was important enough to change history by writing his name, so let’s stop short-shrifting him with stories about his calligraphy and get to the core of who John Hancock really was: a wealthy fortified-wine smuggler who could’ve rested on his laurels, but instead risked everything for a life of politics and radical opposition to the Brits. (Alex Johnson)

Thomas had come to Lexington to find an heir to his fortune. He and his wife Lydia had married in 1731 but after 13 years they were childless. Thomas made John Hancock’s mother and the bishop, an offer they could not refuse—lifelong security for John’s mother Mary, the Bishop, and all three children in exchange for the privilege of adopting young John Hancock. (dsdi1776.com)

In 1750, at the age of 13, John Hancock passed the entrance exams at Harvard. He was the second youngest in his class, but ranked fifth out of 20 under the College’s grading system based on his uncle’s wealth and social position, and his own family’s Harvard pedigree. This ranking gave him preferential seating in church and in the classroom. (dsdi1776.com)

After John’s departure, Thomas wrote him a letter, advising him to “be frugal of Expenses, do Honor to your Country & furnish Your Mind with all wise Improvements…. God Bless you & believe me, Your Loving Uncle.” (dsdi1776.com)

Thomas Hancock had close relations with the royal governors of Massachusetts and secured profitable government contracts during the war. (Wikipedia)

If he dressed like a successful merchant, then he would feel like one, and others would think he was one too. He frequently used clothing and accessories—including a powdered wig, gilded jackets, and rich fabrics—to communicate how he felt about himself and project power and status. Despite wearing such obvious signs of wealth, he had a gift for connecting with all orders of people, and this made him one of the most popular men in Massachusetts. (allthingsliberty.com)

When Thomas Hancock died in August 1764, John inherited the business, Hancock Manor, two or three household slaves, and thousands of acres of land, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the colonies. The household slaves continued to work for John and his aunt, but were eventually freed through the terms of Thomas Hancock's will; there is no evidence that John Hancock ever bought or sold slaves. (Wikipedia)

I do not stand at any price, let it be good, I like a Rich Wine. (John Hancock to partners in London, July 23, 1765)

After its victory in the Seven Years' War, the British Empire was deeply in debt. Looking for new sources of revenue, the British Parliament sought, for the first time, to directly tax the colonies, beginning with the Sugar Act 1764. The earlier Molasses Act 1733, a tax on shipments from the West Indies, had produced hardly any revenue because it was widely bypassed by smuggling, which was seen as a victimless crime. (Wikipedia)

Colonial merchants developed an impressive repertoire of evasive maneuvers to conceal the origin, nationality, routes, and content of their illicit cargoes. This included the frequent use of fraudulent paperwork to make the cargo appear legal and authorized. And much to the frustration of the British authorities, when seizures did happen local merchants were often able to use sympathetic provincial courts to reclaim confiscated goods and have their cases dismissed. (Wikipedia)

Hancock was not yet a political activist; however, he criticized the tax for economic, rather than constitutional reasons. (Wikipedia)

Hancock emerged as a leading political figure in Boston just as tensions with Great Britain were increasing. In March 1765, he was elected as one of Boston's five selectmen, an office previously held by his uncle for many years. (Wikipedia)

Hancock joined the resistance to the Stamp Act 1765 by participating in a boycott of British goods, which made him popular in Boston. After Bostonians learned of the impending repeal of the Stamp Act, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in May 1766. (Wikipedia)

Historian James Truslow Adams portrays Hancock as shallow and vain, easily manipulated by Adams. (Wikipedia)

Later, some of Hancock's most ardent admirers called this incident the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies and credit Hancock with initiating the American Revolution. (Wikipedia)

The crowd was mostly lower-class workers, including blacks, but the famous image of the event was a bunch of poshly-dressed elite whites with a formal firing line of British soldiers. The image was made by Paul Revere, and was commissioned by Sam Adams purely for propaganda. (Truth)

Hancock spent the next few years increasing his commitment to the radical opposition scene in Boston despite receiving some favors from the Boston governor, including an appointment to his council and a militia promotion. (Alex Johnson)

Hancock was at the fateful meeting on December 16 where he reportedly told the crowd, "Let every man do what is right in his own eyes. (Wikipedia)

Since it was the London regime's overreaction to that event that led to the Revolution, it follows that if any man can be said to have started the Revolution (at least, on the American side) it was John Hancock. (Bruce Mathews)

In March of 1774, Hancock solidified his revolutionary street cred by delivering a speech for the Boston Massacre’s fourth anniversary. Among Hancock’s words that day: “The troops of George the third have crossed the Atlantic, not to engage an enemy, but to assist a band of traitors in trampling on the rights and liberties of his most loyal subjects; those rights and liberties, which, as a father, he ought ever to regard, and as a king, he is bound in honour to defend from violation, even at the risk of his own life.” (Alex Johnson)

Paul Revere is an American legend. He is one of the first "super heroes" born out of our quest for independence and freedom from England. But the inherent nature of being a legendary superhero is that much of the story we love and cherish are, in actuality, myths. (teachinginroom6.com)

In a speech made to fellow Freemasons in 1797, Paul Revere claimed that serving as Grand Master was the “greatest happiness” of his life. No one knows exactly what motivated Revere to become a Freemason, but he reaped considerable benefits from his membership, despite periods of turmoil and disappointment. (paulreverehouse.org)

Sybil (or Sibbell) Ludington (April 5, 1761 – February 26, 1839) was an American woman who allegedly made a ride during the American Revolutionary War, though modern accounts dispute this. On April 26, 1777, at age 16, Ludington, the daughter of a Colonel Henry Ludington, was claimed to have made an all-night horseback ride 40 miles (64 km) to rally American militiamen in neighboring towns after British forces raided and burnt Danbury, Connecticut. (Wikipedia)

Prescott also, according to legend, went on to warn the militia in the Town of Acton that “the Regulars are out,” thus assuring that the Acton Minutemen would arrive in time to lead the advance on the Old North Bridge in Concord and suffer the first casualties. Prescott’s somewhat mythical ride through Acton has been reenacted on Patriot’s Day since 1962. But the more I search for primary sources behind the story, the more I realize that we really don’t know much at all about Dr. Samuel Prescott. (Patrick Browne)

Longfellow's family had a connection to the historical Paul Revere. His maternal grandfather, Peleg Wadsworth, was Revere's commander on the Penobscot Expedition. (Wikipedia)

It is, perhaps, worth noting that Shattuck’s book was highly controversial on a number of matters and sparked a furious rivalry between the towns of Acton and Concord. (Patrick Browne)

The biggest myth might be that Paul Revere’s ride was crucial to how the Battle of Lexington and Concord of 19 April 1775 turned out. Rural Massachusetts Patriots were already on alert, especially after they spotted British officers riding west through their towns. Other riders were spreading the same news. Hours passed between the first alarms and when the opposing forces actually engaged, giving Patriots time—more than enough time in some cases—to assemble in militia companies. (J. L. Bell)

He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, —
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere)

He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, —
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere)

In the 1910s, the company began to embrace the strategy of producing feel-good patriotic films, adapting stories which they already knew had audiences and would sell well. Many of the films produced during this time, such as The Birth of the Star-Spangled Banner (1914) adapted already famous events from US history. The studio also began to develop a stable of actors who had already featured in commercially successful films – the very beginning of movie studios attempting to use “movie stars” to attract audiences. (Mehitabel Glenhaber)

Perhaps, because they had already been re-creating battles for news reel studios, this was the sort of dramatic scene which Edison Studios directors and technicians knew they could pull off well. (Mehitabel Glenhaber)

Though this film was produced a little before Edison’s turn to educational films, it might represent an early experiment in the power of film to engage audiences in historic facts – advertisements for the film boast that large portions of the film were filmed on location, and that the film will “stir the minds of young and old.” (Mehitabel Glenhaber)

He finally became Master of the Lodge in December 1770. During this busy period, the Lodge reviewed and initiated candidates, purchased the Green Dragon Tavern as a meeting place in 1764, and tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a brotherly relationship with the older Masonic lodges in Boston. (paulreverehouse.org)

During his three-year term, Revere chartered 23 lodges and energetically carried out his duties. In 1799, after the death of esteemed Freemason and President George Washington, Revere participated in the tributes and crafted a small gold urn to hold a lock of his hair. Revere’s activity decreased after 1800, possibly due to his new copper mill venture. (paulreverehouse.org)

The Sons of Liberty was a loosely organized, clandestine, sometimes violent, political organization active in the Thirteen American Colonies founded to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. It played a major role in most colonies in battling the Stamp Act in 1765 and throughout the entire period of the American Revolution. Historians called the activities of the Sons of Liberty "mob terror." (Wikipedia)

For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere)

New England culture has long been underpinned by a sort of Protestant work ethic—a traditional repressed spartanism that rejects excess. That wasn’t John. John had money and he spent it, gaining a reputation and criticism for his extravagance in the process. (Alex Johnson)

Hessians were German auxiliary soldiers hired by the British Crown to fight in the American Revolutionary War. They served alongside British troops in many battles, including Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown. While the colonists viewed them as mercenaries, they were actually auxiliary forces from various German states, not just Hesse-Kassel. The term "Hessians" became a catch-all term for all German soldiers fighting for the British because most were from that region.  (Assistant)

Ben Franklin supposedly said (although this quote is also attributed to Hancock), “Gentlemen, on this matter we must all hang together; else, we shall most certainly hang separately.” (Clay Reynolds)

There are many constitution lawyers in Congress, with lawyers making up the most represented profession in the 119th Congress. While a specific number for "constitution lawyers" isn't tracked, the high percentage of members with law degrees means many possess expertise in constitutional law. These members serve in various roles, including drafting legislation, advising committees, and shaping laws from their seats in the House and Senate. (Assistant)

It becomes clear to many first-year law students in contracts and torts classes across the United States that English law left a distinct and indelible imprint on the law of the United States. To be sure, precedents set by the English legal system influenced the foundation of the American system. However, the influence of the “mother jurisdiction” goes beyond common law doctrines and statutes, reaching the legal profession itself. (Mark Lipnickey)

A cash influx was important, since Hancock needed to finance the revolution if he wanted to realize his political ambitions (and not be executed for high treason). Also, love, I guess? He and Dorothy probably loved each other. (Alex Johnson)

By this time Hancock had become estranged from Samuel Adams, who disapproved of what he viewed as Hancock's vanity and extravagance, which Adams believed were inappropriate in a republican leader. When Congress voted to thank Hancock for his service, Adams and the other Massachusetts delegates voted against the resolution, as did a few delegates from other states. (Wikipedia)

Hancock was immensely popular and unquestionably patriotic given his personal sacrifices and his leadership of the Second Continental Congress. (Wikipedia)

But in view of Hancock’s large ego and well-known desire for public attention and acclaim, it seems likely that he would not have missed the opportunity to make a bold statement, and to make sure that he had an audience when he did so. (dsdi1776.com)

We must all rise or fall together. (John Hancock to the US Constitution Ratification Convention, February 6, 1788)

Elected to the Boston Assembly, 1766; Delegate to, and President of, the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, circa 1773; Elected to Continental Congress, 1774; Elected President of the Continental Congress, 1775; Member of Massachusetts state Constitutional Convention, elected Governor of Massachusetts, through 1793. (ushistory.org)

Guns have long been at the core of this nation’s identity – and that many Americans always equated arms with democracy. That fact of life was brought home on April 18, 1775.  (Carl M. Cannon)

Morris was a member of the Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution, making him one of the few individuals to sign all four of the nation's great state papers. (Assistant)

The Democratic-Republicans led by Jefferson denounced most of the Federalist policies, especially the bank and implied powers, and vehemently attacked the Jay Treaty as a sell-out of American interests to Britain. (Wikipedia)

Many of the "patriots" were tea smugglers; cheap East India Company tea would cut into their cash cow. So, over the side it went (dressing up as Native Americans to avoid responsibility.) (DerProfessor)

The interesting thing about his tenure as governor is that it was marred by protests over high government taxation and state regulations. It just goes to show you, you either die fighting the guy who taxes everybody, or you live long enough to become the guy who taxes everybody. (Alex Johnson)

On his way to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress, Hancock traveled with delegates from Massachusetts and Connecticut who were greeted on the roads and enthusiastically cheered. In one instance, a crowd offered to act as horses and pull Hancock’scarriage for the final stretch into town. Hancock was thrilled and proudly wrote to his wife about a attention that the delegation received. He also declared that he was the most noticed of all. (allthingsliberty.com)

The revolution was pretty much manufactured by the founding fathers. Most of them owned their own newspapers that printed half truths at best and outright lies at worse to stir up anti-british animosity. Meanwhile, while everything in the colonies was going badly, Franklin was over in England lying and saying everything's fine and the people are just super happy to be part of the crown. (Yoder_of_Kansas)

He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere)