january january october american merchant statesman prominent patriot american revolution served president governor remembered large stylish signature united_states declaration independence term united_states synonym signature american revolution wealthiest men thirteen colonies having inherited profitable business uncle prominent began political career boston protégé influential local politician men later estranged tensions colonists great_britain increased wealth support colonial cause popular massachusetts especially british officials seized sloop liberty charged smuggling charges eventually dropped professor author explains appropriate declaration independence boston known merchant boston leaders crisis led outbreak american revolutionary war served years philadelphia president congress sign declaration independence returned massachusetts elected governor commonwealth serving role remaining years influence ensure massachusetts ratified united_states_constitution early life according calendar born january according julian calendar use date january born massachusetts town eventually separate city son reverend widow nearby child casual acquaintance young reverend baptized lived comfortable life owned slave help household work father died john sent live uncle aunt proprietor firm known imported manufactured goods britain exported whale oil fish highly successful business boston richest best known residents servants slaves lived couple children dominant influence john life graduating enrolled received bachelor degree graduation began work uncle french indian war begun close relations royal governors massachusetts secured profitable government contracts war learned uncle business years trained eventual partnership firm worked hard enjoyed playing role wealthy developed fondness expensive clothes lived england building relationships customers suppliers returning boston gradually took uncle health failed partner january member october connected boston influential citizens died august john inherited business household slaves thousands acres land wealthiest men colonies household slaves continued work john aunt eventually freed terms evidence bought sold slaves growing imperial tensions victory seven years war british_empire deep debt looking new sources revenue sought time directly tax colonies beginning sugar act earlier tax shipments west_indies produced hardly revenue widely bypassed smuggling seen crime little social stigma attached smuggling colonies port cities trade primary generator wealth smuggling enjoyed considerable community support possible obtain insurance caught colonial merchants developed impressive repertoire maneuvers conceal origin routes content illicit included frequent use fraudulent cargo appear legal authorised frustration british authorities happen local merchants able use sympathetic provincial courts reclaim confiscated goods cases dismissed instance appointed head customs new_england brought trial end acquitted alternatively merchants took matters hands stole illicit goods sugar act provoked outrage boston widely viewed violation colonial rights men argued colonists represented parliament body colonial assemblies colonists represented levy taxes colonies political activist criticized tax economic constitutional reasons emerged leading political figure boston tensions great_britain increasing march elected boston office previously held uncle years soon parliament passed stamp act tax legal documents levied britain years wildly unpopular colonies producing riots organized resistance initially took moderate position loyal british subject thought colonists submit act believed parliament months changed mind continued violence intimidation royal officials joined resistance stamp act participating boycott british goods popular boston learned impending repeal stamp act elected political success benefited support clerk house_of_representatives leader boston popular party known later patriots men unlikely pair years older adams somber outlook stood marked contrast taste luxury stories later portrayed adams political rise merchant wealth whig agenda historian portrayed shallow vain easily manipulated adams wrote biographies men argued characterization relationship adams mentor protégé acts crisis repeal stamp act parliament took different approach raising revenue passing acts established new duties imports strengthened customs agency creating british government believed efficient customs system necessary colonial american merchants smuggling violated trading ports outside british_empire avoiding import taxes parliament hoped new system reduce smuggling generate revenue government colonial merchants involved smuggling found new regulations oppressive colonists protested new duties attempt parliament tax colonies consent joined calling boycott british imports duties repealed enforcement customs regulations targeted boston wealthiest whig suspected wanted harass politics especially governor refusing attend public functions customs officials present april customs employees called boarded brig summoned finding agents lacked writ assistance general search warrant allow deck later managed hold men forced deck customs officials wanted file charges case dropped massachusetts attorney general ruled broken laws later ardent incident act physical resistance british authority colonies credit initiating american revolution liberty affair incident proved major event coming american revolution evening sloop liberty arrived carrying shipment wine custom officers inspected ship morning found contained pipes wine fourth ship carrying capacity paid duties pipes wine officials suspected arranged wine night avoid paying duties entire cargo earlier heard authority customs officials stayed ship overnight gave sworn statement month later british warship hms port changed story saying forcibly held liberty orders illegally released subjected threats vengeance death destruction case affair following day liberty boarded seized officials found barrels tar barrels oil board bond posted permit load obtained june customs officials seized liberty angry captain colonists royal_navy arguably illegal activity riot broke officials began tow liberty confrontation escalated sailors marines coming ashore seize liberty mistaken press gang riot customs officials relocated island fort harbor claiming unsafe town insisted customs officials danger london send troops boston british officials filed lawsuits stemming liberty incident suit ship suit previously heard dismissing authority officials suit filed june resulted liberty august customs officials ship anti smuggling operations burned angry colonists rhode_island following year second trial began october charges filed allegedly unloading pipes wine liberty paying duties convicted defendants pay penalty triple value wine came serving lawyer prosecuted highly publicized trial vice admiralty court jury allow defense cross examine witnesses dragging nearly months proceedings dropped explanation charges dropped writers later described accuracy characterization questioned guilt innocence exact charges wrote historian fiercely debated argued victim essentially criminal scheme governor bernard customs officials believed reliable evidence guilty liberty case purpose trials punish political reasons property opposed interpretation editors legal papers argued innocence open question british officials acted legally lawyer historian concluded customs officials right seize ship illegal legal historian argued testimony sides politically partial possible reconstruct incident aside liberty affair degree engaged smuggling widespread colonies questioned given clandestine nature smuggling records scarce documentation found identified study merchants revolutionary boston found written evidence biographer concluded probably engaged smuggling business legitimate later reputation king colonial myth foundation massacre tea party liberty affair reinforced previously british decision suppress unrest boston military decision prompted circular letter sent british american colonies hopes coordinating resistance lord secretary state colonies sent regiments british_army boston support royal officials instructed governor bernard order massachusetts legislature circular letter voted letter instead drew petition demanding governor bernard recall bernard returned england celebrated british troops remained tensions soldiers civilians eventually resulted killing civilians march involved incident led committee demand removal troops meeting bernard successor governor british officer command colonel claimed armed colonists ready march boston troops leave knew soldiers position garrisoned town agreed remove regiments celebrated hero role getting troops withdrawn reelection nearly unanimous parliament partially repealed duties boston boycott british goods ended politics massachusetts tensions remained tried improve relationship governor turn sought away adams influence april approved election colonel militia unit primary function provide ceremonial escort governor approved election council upper chamber members elected house subject veto governor previous elections council vetoed allowed election stand declined office wanting appear opted governor improved relationship resolve ongoing dispute avoid hostile crowds boston legislature outside town agreed allow sit boston relief legislators hope win discredit adams adams odds adams formed november advocate colonial rights declined join creating impression split whig ranks differences adams came renewal major political turmoil revelation private letters governor recommend called english liberties bring order colony blaming military occupation boston called removal governor trouble followed parliament passage tea act november elected boston town meeting resolved supported tea act enemy america tried force resignation agents appointed receive tea shipments unsuccessful attempted prevent tea tea ships arrived meeting december reportedly told crowd let man right eyes night approved action careful publicly praise destruction private property months disabled trouble increasing frequency coming years march recovered deliver fourth annual massacre day commemoration speech denounced presence british troops boston said sent enforce obedience acts parliament god man empowered speech probably written collaboration adams published widely reprinted enhancing stature leading patriot revolution begins parliament responded called acts intended strengthen british control colonies replaced governor general arrived june elected delegates send philadelphia organized coordinate colonial response serve congress possibly health reasons possibly remain charge patriot leaders away soon dismissed post colonel october canceled scheduled meeting response house resolved body independent british control elected president key member created companies consisting ready action moment notice december elected delegate replace unable attend congress illness reported philadelphia unanimously reelected president february multiple roles gave enormous influence massachusetts early january british officials considered arresting attending concord april decided safe return boston leaving philadelphia stayed instead childhood home lexington received letter lord april advising arrest principal actors proceedings appear light acts treason rebellion night april sent detachment soldiers mission spark american revolutionary war purpose british expedition seize destroy military supplies colonists stored concord according historical accounts instructed men arrest adams written orders issued mention arresting patriot leaders apparently decided gain arresting adams leaders simply place british portrayed evidently decided seizing adams patriots initially believed boston dispatched messenger warn adams british troops attempt arrest reached lexington midnight gave warning considering militia colonel wanted field patriot militia lexington adams convinced avoid battle arguing valuable political leader soldier adams escape shots war fired lexington concord soon battle issued proclamation granting general pardon lay arms return duties subjects exceptions adams manner added renown patriots president congress war underway way philadelphia massachusetts delegates unanimously elected president succeeding declined nomination good choice president reasons experienced having presided legislative bodies town meetings massachusetts wealth social standing inspired confidence moderate delegates association boston acceptable position somewhat ambiguous role president fully defined clear resigned leave absence like presidents congress authority limited presiding officer handle great deal official correspondence found necessary hire expense help congress june massachusetts delegate nominated george_washington commander chief army gathered boston years later adams wrote shown great disappointment getting command brief comment source cited claim sought commander chief early 20th century historian wrote incident initiated lifelong washington subsequent historians expressed doubt incident occurred according historian contemporary evidence ambitions named commander chief contrary washington maintained good relationship alleged incident named son admired supported general washington washington declined request military appointment congress august took opportunity fiancée couple married august connecticut john children survived adulthood daughter born died months later son john born died suffering head injury ice skating president involved long running controversy harvard treasurer college entrusted school financial records cash rush events onset revolutionary war unable return money accounts harvard leaving congress harvard committee headed chief political social rival boston sent messenger philadelphia retrieve money records offended turned records college harvard replaced treasurer ego bruised years declined settle account pay interest money held despite pressure political opponents issue dragged death estate finally paid college resolve matter served congress days revolutionary war british drove washington new_york new_jersey prompted congress flee baltimore maryland congress returned philadelphia march compelled flee months later british occupied philadelphia wrote letters colonial officials raising money supplies troops washington army chaired took pride helping create small fleet american frigates including uss named honor signing declaration president congress declaration independence adopted signed primarily remembered americans large flamboyant signature declaration united_states informal synonym signature according legend signed largely clearly king george read story originated years later contrary popular mythology ceremonial signing declaration july congress approved wording text july fair copy sent printed president signed document sent printer uncertain document lost destroyed printing process produced published version declaration widely distributed broadside president congress delegate appeared broadside secretary delegate attested implying signed fair copy meant second broadside issued months later listed delegate publicly attached document sent copy broadside george_washington instructing read troops way shall think proper printed signed broadside iconic signature appears different document sheet carefully july signed august delegates present known copy famous document display washington return massachusetts october years congress president requested leave absence asked george_washington arrange military escort return boston washington short manpower sent horsemen accompany journey home time estranged disapproved viewed adams believed inappropriate republican leader congress voted thank service adams massachusetts delegates voted resolution delegates states boston reelected house_of_representatives previous years philanthropy popular finances suffered greatly war gave poor helped support loaned money friends according biographer generous man people loved idol december reelected delegate boston town meeting rejoined pennsylvania june brief time unhappy absence congress elected new president disappointment hoped reclaim chair got poorly missed wife newborn son july massachusetts delegates joined representatives seven states signing remaining states prepared sign articles ratified returned boston july motivated opportunity finally lead men combat appointed senior major general massachusetts militia french fleet come aid americans general washington instructed general continental_army lead attack british garrison newport rhode_island august nominally commanded campaign let professional soldiers planning issue orders french admiral abandoned operation militia deserted suffered criticism emerged brief military career popularity intact charter member delay new massachusetts constitution finally went effect october surprise elected governor massachusetts landslide garnering vote absence formal party politics contest personality popularity patriotism immensely popular patriotic given personal sacrifices leadership principal opponent cast supporters citing things refusal poor health serve supporters principally commercial interests massachusetts coastal communities cast populace governed massachusetts end revolutionary war economically troubled postwar period repeatedly winning reelection wide margins took hands approach governing avoiding controversial issues possible according led strength deal critical issues confronting commonwealth governed surprise resignation january cited failing health reason aware growing unrest countryside wanted office trouble came critics believed claims illness avoid difficult political situations historian wrote chief resources money gain popularity second prevent losing turmoil avoided ultimately rebellion successor deal uprising reelected promptly pardoned rebels reelected annual terms governor remainder life final years resigned governor elected delegate known ratification congress declined importance revolutionary war frequently ignored states congress elected serve president attended poor health interested sent congress letter resignation effort remedy perceived defects delegates sent drafted united_states_constitution sent states ratification rejection present philadelphia convention new constitution lack bill rights shift power central government january elected president massachusetts convention ill present convention began remained silent contentious debates convention drawing close gave speech favor ratification time years supported position support adams massachusetts convention narrowly ratified constitution vote support probably deciding factor ratification forth candidate presidential election custom era political ambition viewed suspicion campaign publicly express interest office instead wishes known indirectly like knew george_washington going elected president interested vice president despite poor health received electoral votes election home state massachusetts voted massachusetts native received second highest number electoral votes vice president disappointed performance election continued popular massachusetts health failing spent final years essentially governor wife died bed october years age order acting governor day burial state holiday lavish funeral given american time legacy despite grand funeral faded popular memory death according historian boston celebrated hero half century revolution george_washington early lamented buried boston little effort preserve historical legacy house torn city boston massachusetts legislature decided maintaining according young conservative new elite massachusetts comfortable rich man pledged fortune cause revolution centennial american independence popular interest revolution plaques honoring boston memorial column finally erected essentially unmarked grave burying ground length biography appeared 20th century challenge facing biographers compared prominent founding fathers like jefferson left relatively personal writings historians use interpreting life result depictions relied writings political opponents critical according historian chief victim massachusetts historiography gifted popular politician long history suffered known later generations entirely detractors whig influential 20th century historian wrote negative portraits dictionary american biography 1930s adams argued fair presiding officer great ability prominent inherited wealth decades later historian argued adams repeated negative views political opponents research adams presented series incidents anecdotes partially documented documented sum leave distinctly unfavorable impression according adams evidently projected disapproval 1920s businessmen ended key events career writing 1970s called scholars evaluate based merits views critics time historians usually presented favorable portrait acknowledging important writer political theorist military leader places things united_states named honor named vessels uss world war liberty ship named honor states named places named include massachusetts michigan new_hampshire new_york new_hampshire named founded boston connection business ventures financial company passed boston chicago popular culture miniseries major characters portrayed portrayed hbo miniseries actor musical film years later played decent fair man sympathetic rebel cause willing sides respect american superhero comedy film starring smith reference american slang term signature slang reason smith character receive suffering amnesia asked john signature nurse ends thinking video game fallout named finds red coat adopts inspired ideas freedom starts militia takes town town modeled square local mob boss later completing quest recruited player follower
John Hancock