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John Hancock was an early American politician and the first to sign the United States Declaration of Independence, leading to the phrase “give your John Hancock.” The document affirmed the US’s independence from England and was signed by 56 dignitaries, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Hancock’s signature was larger and more ornate, intentionally sending a message to the king. Hancock was a Boston Assemblyman, a delegate and president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and served as governor of Massachusetts until his death.
John Hancock was an early American politician and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. His was the first signature on the document, the largest and most legible. From this evolved the idiom “give your John Hancock,” which simply means to sign your name to something. The phrase is used throughout the United States and can be applied to virtually anything that requires a signature.
The Declaration of Independence, drawn up by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, was the document with which the newly established United States of America formally affirmed its independence from England and, in particular, from the government of the King of England. In it, Jefferson summarized the grievances fueling secession and briefly described the rights the country intended to assume as a free and independent entity. It was the forerunner of later documents, including the US Constitution.
The document was signed by 56 US dignitaries. These included Jefferson and Hancock, along with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Edward Rutledge and Samuel Chase. John Hancock was the first to sign; his signature appears in the top center of the bank of signatures. Not only is his signature larger, but his handwriting is significantly more ornate and ostentatious than anything on the document.
Signatories to the Declaration included those of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. John Hancock was one of five Massachusetts signatories, but his signature appears separate from his fellow statesmen because of the way he chose to sign. The size of the signature is said to have been an intentional message from Hancock to the king.
Hancock was a Boston Assemblyman and a delegate and president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. He was elected to the Continental Congress and was also elected president of that organization. He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention and served as governor of Massachusetts until his death.
Eventually, the distinction of Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence gave rise to the phrase “give your John Hancock.” A person may be asked to do this when he or she signs a document, whether it’s a formal contract or a credit card slip. The term “John Hancock” can be used interchangeably with “signature” or “autograph”. A similar euphemism asks a person to give his “John Henry.”
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