Founding father John Hancock, born 1737 died 1793, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and also the governor of Massachusetts. Born in Massachusetts he was raised by his uncle, a merchant. When his uncle died, Hancock came to gain control of his uncle’s shipping business. In the mid-1760s, as the British government began Taxes and other regulation measures to gain authority over its American colonies, anti-British groups grew among the colonists. Hancock used his wealth and influence to help the movement for America’s independence. He was president of the Second Continental Congress in 1775, when the Declaration of Independence was signed and the United States was born. From 1780 to 1785, Hancock was the first governor of the
