tonight's authors talk a program

that is made possible in part from a generous gift from massachusetts of the cincinnati features. dr. brooke barbier discussing her new book, king hancock the radical influence of a moderate founding father, recently published by the university of harvard press. brooke barbier is a public historian who holds a ph.d. american history from boston college. in addition to king hancock, she is the author of boston and the american revolution a town versus an empire, published by the unit excuse me, the history press in 2017, which focuses on pre-revolutionary boston and its during the american revolution. in addition to her scholarship, she is also the founder of yield tavern tours, a popular guided outing along boston's renowned freedom, and that was founded in 2013. but before i hand over to dr.

barber, however, the usual housekeeping items are in order for our friends tuning in with us on zoom this evening following tonight's author's talk there will be a question and answer session. so please feel free to submit your questions at any point. the presentation by using the q&a that can be found at the bottom of your screen. and we will do our best to incorporate them with our live audience. questions should you have any related questions or comments those can be submitted by using the chat function and one of our staff members will do best to assist you as they will be monitoring throughout the talk. so all of that and without further delay, please join me in welcoming to anderson house dr. brooke barbier. thanks, andrew. thank you guys for coming tonight. so excited to speak with you. we're going to talk about how john hancock a revolution john hancock is, famous for his

audacious signature on the declaration of independence. here it is. but would it surprise to know that his politics were much less bold? i'm going to talk tonight about how a man with middle of the road and often shifting political views came to be one of our country's founders. hancock was a moderate in a time and place of radical his adopted hometown, boston, was the epicenter of ma being towering, feathering and violent protest in the 1760s and seventies. yet hancock was able to avoid such extremes remaining popular with the masses and effecting political in spite of being slow to adopt many resistance efforts. we'll discuss how hancock's affected two parts of the american revolution. first, the resistance rebellion

of the 1760s and seventies and in the new nation. let's get a brief background on john hancock. when he was seven, his life funded mentally changed his father died and he went to live with his wealthy paternal uncle uncle, thomas, who lived in thomas was a self-made man who, in his lifetime amassed one of the largest fortunes in massachusetts by opening a merchant house called the house of hancock. john hancock life fundamentally changes again when uncle thomas and john uncle thomas dies and. john goes on to inherit all his uncle's mercantile business holdings overnight, then he becomes one of the most prominent men in boston. his uncle's death coincide with a big change for the colonies uncle. thomas died in 1764, just the year earlier, the french and

indian war had ended, and this is when 1764 is when parliament passing taxes. and we begin to get that a feeling of no taxation representation among colonies. in 1765 of parliament, britain's governing body passes the stamp act, a tax on printed goods boston despises the stamp act, and they target two royal officials to express their displeasure. andrew oliver and thomas hutchinson, both crown officials had their property destroyed stamp act riots in 1765. in boston, andrew oliver was, the stamp act collector of massachusetts. so the riot him made sense to hancock. it followed 18th century practices of mobbing. you're upset about the stamp act so you target the stamp act

collector this made the mob against however when his home was utterly ransacked, hancock opposed this attack seemed and not political hancock wants get the men who participated these riots together and to convince them to act respectably. he was worried particularly there would be more violence on the day that the stamp act was to go into effect. so he's worried that he's a wealthy man as andrew oliver and thomas hutchinson, were. so if mob decided to turn against another wealthy man, it could be hancock next. he decides to bring men together and try to convince them to act respectively. he and another merchant host a party at a local tavern that was familiar to hancock, popular with artisans. colonial taverns were places

where men debated politics, gathered for camaraderie and built connection. there was no shortage of watering holes in the hard drinking colonial town boston. there still no shortage of watering holes in the hard drinking town of current day boston elites usually find themselves in the same as men from the lower. but that wasn't a trump problem for hancock. he loved entertain and host and he chose to entertain at a tavern familiar to him and popular with artisans at the green dragon tavern. been around for a century and, was a large brick building. the upstairs beginning the 1760s was home to a masonic that john hancock belonged as well as silversmith paul revere and dr. joseph warren. the name of the tavern derives from this guy. here you can kind of see the

dragon poking out. i've got a close up here. it was made of copper. it in the saltaire turned green and it became the green dragon tavern that night at the green dragon. hancock was a generous as he would be throughout his life. he paid a large sum money for food and drinks and at one point gave a speech convincing everyone there to try and demonstrate peacefully going forward. hancock's plan worked on the day the stamp act was to go into effect, there was a much more set festive atmosphere in boston. ultimately the stamp act was repealed shortly after and so hancock doesn't even need to worry further about that stamp act. he goes back to resuming business with the british empire. one errant tax like stamp act didn't cause him to want to stop doing business the way he and

his family had for decades. riots factor again factored in again excuse three years later when another is passed and he resists hancock resists paying all of his the tax was on imported british goods and. it was called the townshend duties duties. hancock doesn't to pay taxes on one of his favorite drinks madeira. madeira is, a fortified wine from an island of the same name. it's off the coast of africa, was under portuguese control and it was a favorite of hancock. he was exacting when ordering it listen to what he said. i don't stand at any price let it be good. i like a rich wine. this is a accustomed to getting what he wants. this love of madeira leads to one of one of the most memorable mobs of the american revolution.

so the stanton act is repealed in 1766, but the townshend duties are passed a year later. if the tax was bad, this new customs board established in boston, was worse parliament did learn about the stamp act in they knew they needed to reinforce of taxes in boston so they up new a new customs board there. the customs were loathsome. they earnestly patrolled the harbor eager to stop and search any vessel they thought might be smuggling. they also had hate hated boston onions for what they believed to be their attitude towards. they were determined to catch somebody and there's no bigger target or bigger fish to catch than the wealthy and john hancock. so that's who they go after. now, hancock's lucky with the

townshend duties because here his economic interests align with the radical political interests radicals don't want to pay the tax because they don't want another tax. hancock doesn't want to pay the tax because it's going to affect the price of the goods he's importing from england. hancock, though, has an easy way around the tax and it's what and his uncle had been doing for smuggling in the summer of 1768, one of hancock ships called liberty docks at hancock's wharf. let's look at this map for a second. it's a map of boston in 1769. and while i wouldn't recommend it, you could still this map in downtown boston today. there are many of the same landmarks and some of the same street. you see the arrow pointing to hancock's mansion at the hancock's wharf. me there was also longworth longest war here. not every merchant was wealthy

enough to have their own wharf named for them, but hancock certainly was. and you can tell it's of the bigger wharves. so hancock's ship called liberty docks at hancock's wharf in 1768. he declares that there is 25 casks of madeira board and the customs official named thomas kirk accepts. this number hancock pays his taxes on it and they both go their separate ways. except liberty's cargo could hold more than double that. and it was unlikely that hancock would sail across the atlantic with his ship at half capacity. so he's much too experience to do and customs commissioners were suspicious? yes, they asked thomas kirk about the incident and he that everything had been on level customs were sure hancock was smuggling and they had a stroke of good luck, just a month

later. here's what happens. thomas kirk comes forward, changes his story. he says that when he had said everything had been the level, he was afraid. captain john marshall, captain of liberty, was the one who was intimidating thomas kirk. but john marshall, captain had recently died. and so kirk said, now i'm comfortable coming forward to tell the truth on account of what happened. and he quite a tale. he says that liberty docked captain marshall asked kirk to look the other way as illegally unloaded guns. so flat out he's claiming that a captain is asking a customs commissioner to come to permit him to smuggle. this is not believable. but kirk says that when he refused, marshall and five or six men grabbed kirk pulled him below deck, locked him into a

cabin and the top down for 3 hours. they could hear the hoist out of goods and the noise. the tackle above, kirk says. then it went the door opens to the cabin and john marshall fills the doorway. he says. if he breathes that, if kirk breathes a word about what he saw, heard that night, he and his property would be harmed. this story is work of an imaginative mind, but it does what it needed. it implicates hancock, so customs commissioners. go down to hancock's wharf. i've got another view for you. this one comes to us from paul revere, 1768. it's the depiction of british troops arriving to boston. but once you can see hancock's wharf jutting prominently into the harbor. so these customs commissioner is now with kirk's revised story and hand decide to head down to

the wharf. little else, a hint of wrongdoing by a customs commissioner would gather crowd in boston at this time, but especially in defense. john hancock, one of the town's most popular men. so a crowd is gathering around and telling those customs commissioners that they shall not seize liberty unless they want to be chucked into the harbor. the customs commissioners are determined that they seize liberty. they brand liberties with the king's mark, and then they haul liberty to romney. a british warship, and secure it to. the ship in boston harbor. the townspeople erupt, but they rocks. at the customs commissioners. they hit them with clubs and brickbats. the sun, one of the customs commissioners who hadn't even been involved in the seizure of

liberty, was also overrun. the mob dragged him by the through the streets while throwing dirt on him and hitting him with sticks. all of that is a lot. but then they take it one step further. the mob numbers between 500 and a thousand men. and according to the royal governor, they were filled with rum this then drags sailboat built by of these customs commissioners that had seized liberty they haul it out of boston harbor through the streets of boston up to boston common, the public park where they set boat on fire. this was a stunning display to defend hancock right to smuggle wine the is hancock's not nearly as troubled by the politics of it all. despite this violent in protest of john hancock by the way if we look if you've been to boston

boston common is still the public park today and hancock mansion sits at the top sat at the top of boston common hancock's top concern is making profits, not opposing taxes. as long as british officials on to liberty, he could not use and he couldn't make any money. so he wanted to cut a deal with the british his politic were not radical enough to stop trading with london forever. he was a businessman and employed of local men and wants to get back to work just like he did after the stamp act. dr. joseph warren acts as his go between. joseph warren was a man of poppy law with rebels in boston, but popular with crown, so he's the perfect between and he brokers deal which is pretty simple if hancock gets his ship back so that he can begin trading, hancock will agree to stand

trial if they want to charge him with. the deal is in place. everything is set. then. hancock that night starts to get knocks on his door as visitors arrive. hancock's mansion you saw sat at the top of boston common. and here's an image of it soon one observer said hancock's house quote was full radical firebrands samuel adams and james otis went to hancock's mansion and told him could not make this deal. it's a bad deal as sons of liberty filled in and tried to convince hancock of the same thing. hancock eventually, with mounting pressure, reneges on the deal. he's going have to protest the way that samuel adams and james otis want for they have more radical ideas, but it's safer at this time. go along with them shortly after

liberty riot, british troops are sent to occupy boston. that's that image we saw from paul revere. the troops arrival in march 1770. they shot into a rowdy and killed five men in what we know today as the boston massacre, the boston massacre does not activate hancock the way you might think he retreats from politics rather than going all in after boston massacre most of the town chin duties are lifted the troops depart town and hancock wants to focus on almost anything than politics. he starts looking for a wife he restarts his business. he's taking vacations. hancock stepping away from politic was noticed by others. you're going to recognize this name? thomas hutchinson, the same guy had his house destroyed in the

stamp act rights of 1765. he's now royal governor of massachusetts, and he notices that hancock stepped away. he says there was a breach among patriots in massachusetts bay. hancock had, quote, been firmly attached to mr. adams and quote, but then in 1771, suddenly, to hutchinson's delight, all friendship between them was suddenly at an end. and mr. hancock expressed dissatisfaction with the party. word reached london, too. that's how important hancock and samuel were at this time. secretary of state, lord wrote to hutchinson informing him that hancock had, quote, deserted the cause of liberty. hillsborough urged governor hutchinson to capitalize on this rupture and try to get hancock on his side.

hutchinson had previously tried to sway rebels into the crown's fold. he'd solicited john, who turned him down. he tried with dr. benjamin and was ultimately successful. church began by anonymous solely publishing newspaper articles, the sons of liberty, even as he remained a son of liberty church, would eventually him self completely and receive payment for secrets about rebel paying general. thomas gage of the british army hutchinson struck out with john adams. he struck out with hancock to. hancock hutchinson said of hancock that he intended to quit all active concern in public affairs and to attend to his private business. he even swore hancock did that he will quote never again connect himself with adams. now, samuel adams doesn't need

hancock to stay politically active. he could do that all on his own at this time. in 1772, he sets up a committee of correspondence to communicate with the other colonies outside of massachusetts about crown's infringements violations. the boston committee of correspondence included merchants doctors and lawyers. many of them went to harvard and many of them were masons. hancock checks these boxes, but he declines to sit the committee. thomas cushing, hancock's friend, also a merchant and a fellow moderate, also not sit on the committee. samuel adams, hancock and cushing for not being a part of the committee, not its ideas. the committee itself. privately, however, john samuel adams were concerned both merchants had not signed on.

samuel adams loathed their tepid politics. get ready for this one, he said. for the sake their own ease or their own safety, they preach the into paltry ideas of moderation. samuel adams claimed that cushing and hancock did not quote realize the evil tendency of their conduct and quote, by declining to be a part, the committee of correspondence, avoid being ensnared the trap set by samuel adams, that of a false binary hancock either joined the committee of correspondence or his conduct was evil. rarely is life much less revolution that clean hancock and certainly didn't want their businesses to suffer with new taxes, but they also weren't too as agitate as others about crime policies, especially when the troops had been sent out of town and most of the towns and duties

had been lifted. people are complex and make political decisions for myriad reasons what may be good for them. one year is not going to be good for them. the next adams would have been surprised a year later when hancock is back in. he supports destruction of the t in 1773. what we today as the boston tea party by the way the 250th anniversary of the boston tea party is coming up this december 16th. hancock gave a speech moments before. the crowd went down to the harbor to destroy the tea. hancock's support for the boston tea party is what gives my book, my book's title, its name. my book titled king hancock and it. that name first appears in 1774 in the historical record, british troops react boston after the destruction of tea and they were trying to find out who

had organized this event. they held captive a bostonian named samuel dyer and they they demanded to who ordered the destruction of the tea dyer said nobody. the british officers in his face. you're a -- liar. it was king hancock and the -- sons of liberty. this is the first time we see the nickname in. and it's so clever it captures hancock's as a town leader in boston, but it also the backhanded effect of serving as a condemned nation of the colonists that the best they do, the best their king was this guy, john hancock. then something extraordinary happens. the colonists use the nickname as their own. this happens on april 19th, 1775. the day the revolutionary war

begins with battles in lexington and massachusetts. things had gone badly. the british army in concord that afternoon, and they decide to retreat 20 miles back to boston this is a brutal retreat back they are being fired on nearly the entire way home. worse they can't. who's firing on them because colonists are firing from behind walls and inside homes. all of this situation is made so much worse when british officers here, the colonists crying out king hancock forever. so the colonists had taken this put down by the british officers and made it literally a rallying cry the day the revolutionary war began. john hancock been metaphorically crowned by the colonists. hancock had been in lexington in

that morning, just hours before fighting broke out, and he fled down to philadelphia for the second continental congress. where he reengage is with politics in a big way. something momentous happens for hancock, the president of the congress at the time was payton randolph. he'd also served president of the first continental congress. he's from virginia. he gets called home to his home colony of virginia to legislate there. now, this might sound unusual. you would pick your home colony, virginia, over the business of the second continental congress. but this was common throughout. the continental congress is in existence. that colony work took precedence over work in the congress. congress changes when they look to for their next president, they look to the colonies and the records of the second continental congress. blandly that you, john hancock

is unanimously selected a president. his moderation is what gets him the job his wealth assuages. moderates and conservatives. but he has strong rebel. he smuggled which fomented a mob. and he also had been served as president of the the provincial congress in massachusetts, which was the first political body to form reject rule by the british empire. so he had credentials. but this is the problem for his fellow massachusetts delegates, john adams and samuel adams. hancock. oh, look at him. okay. so this is we know this as independence hall today, but this is the pennsylvania state house at the time where second continental congress was held. and we see hancock with the arrow as president. he sat in the front of the room with the delegates at the tables in front of him.

john excuse me, john hancock is not supporter of the adams cousins move meant for independence in the beginning. of 1776, both and samuel were plotting against hancock and his allies. a result thomas cushing, that moderate who didn't join boston committee of correspondents, gets pushed out as a delegate, replaced by elbridge gerry, a man much more excited about independence hancock's two unpopular excuse me, two popular to unseat. however, but samuel adams growing according to john adams very quote very bitter against hancock for not being inclined towards independence for his part hancock had decades of proof that being a part of the british empire was financially lucrative. he had traveled to london as a

young man to expand his overseas business. he connected with partners there. he even considered marrying a woman in london hancock. other affluent men like him had many incentives, continue to try to work things out with the british empire, especially when there was no certainty that independence would protect their significant means. the adams cousins, in sharp contrast had far less to lose rupturing with great britain would cost them little adventure early. most of the moderates in congress came around to independence, including hancock, july 1776 was a turning point for him once. he went in on independence. he went all in on the patriot cause. his temperament was still inclined to moderation, which would help the war efforts. as we'll about and the new nation, but he could no longer be considered india or wishy

washy to the fight against the crown. two examples from the 1780s show the impact of hancock's on the new countries. so we're going to start in the early 1780s, massachusetts had ratified its constitution again in 1780, and hancock was elected first governor. the people of massachusetts were with heavy taxes to pay for the war effort. those in western massachusetts couldn't afford this tax burden. so they sent petitions to the legislature which went nowhere. they conventions that was also amounted to nothing they thought they were doing the thing they thought they were doing. they were tactics that had been used a decade earlier to effect a break from the british empire and to make change. but in this it wasn't welcome.

so many of these men, farmers in western massachusetts and many of them veterans of the recent war, intimidate the courts into closing in 1786. they reasoned that if the courts weren't open, they couldn't charge anyone and had their property auctioned off or be hauled into for nonpayment of debt this movement became known as shays rebellion. this is a misnomer because daniel here he is a revolutionary war veteran. he is a poor farmer. he is not the organizer of shays rebellion. he was of the participants and named leader by the opposition. governor james. james had become governor after hancock and his legislature passed several harsh and overreaching laws to stop the protests in the west. they suspended civil rights and

instituted a riot act in which sheriff could be exonerated for anyone they killed during a riot. a supporter of bowdoin a supporter of bowdoin james warren said this the severity of the governor's tactics for fear that shays should destroy constitution. they violated it themselves. bowdoin also to military support militarily the uprisings in the west guess who supports the radical samuel adams. he finds these men to be and insurgents and he says that rallying a militia should head out to the west to put this insurgents down so man who whipped up violence in the streets decade earlier was now condemning it to suppress resistance. bowden raised an army of over

4000 men who marched west to springfield government troops fired on some of the protesters break ranks shortly. the rebellion in western massachusetts petered out. participants punishments ranged from fees to collection of arms to suspension of voting rights. what you wrote and hoped would help in the future elections. it would not. bowdoin is going to find out the worst offenders went on trial and were sentenced death. the next gubernatorial election saw john hancock easily back into office, winning quarters of the state's votes. it was the first time in massachusetts history that an incumbent governor was voted out after being elected. hancock and this is a portrait we have of him about this era. this was done between 1785 and

1790. and he's back as governor in 1787. he's here. his wife, dorothy, who was popularly known as dolley, by the way, because i'm in washington, d.c. i want to mention that this portrait is owned by american university, it's not currently on view, but it's here in this city, hancock, after being elected hancock, demonstrated how well he understood the people of massachusetts. he issued full pardons and reinstated the citizenship and the rebellions participants, except for two men who were accused of breaking houses. this may have been for self preservation as many feared attacks on government officials. if participants were executed. hancock, however, claimed that the pardons were intended to the public tranquility to conciliate the affections, the people, and to establish peace.

the state for most of his life, hancock avoided extremes in 1787. his moderation enormously benefited him. the western rebels and state. he lamented rebellion, but was optimistic that people would now respect the new government and knew that healing rift not widening. it was good massachusetts. it also helped that his legislature no new taxes that year hancock and the tax reprieve were the the states needed even his critics softened a bit so colleague james warren had said he was a popular supporter of bowdoin and for years been a detractor of hancock's. and while he was disappointed in bowden's reaction to the shays rebellion, he was also disappointed that hancock was now governor again. but he said, i do not regret the change as as i once should

others outside. the commonwealth of massachusetts were not as charmed. the debt relief in massachusetts. concerned men who saw the masses get what they wanted through protests and elections a new federal was proposed and hancock's moderation would again be formative. given the constitution still governs the united today we can look back on the debate about ratifying the constitution and convinced that it was the right government the right time. six i'll just identify a tendency called hindsight bias where in people see the of a past event as predictable or logical with this thinking outcomes seemed more likely have occurred than they actually were and other perspectives and are ignored or as irrelevant the final outcome.

when history and especially a revolution, it is easy to succumb to hindsight bias. it's easy to believe that everything the way that it should have, that the outcome was inevitable. but this ignores the complex reality of 88 the country's proposed structure, this new federal constitution was unpopular among many americans and was very real concern it would not be approved. the constitution was sent to each state to ratify and the ratification was not done by voting, by special ratification conventions. the delegates in massachusetts those that comprised the constitutional convention in massachusetts were pretty evenly split about 5050 for and the constitution. in some ways, the fight over the

constitution mirrored you felt about shays rebellion. a or two earlier. those in the west were were reluctant about. the constitution and those who condemned hancock for his moderate approach to the rebels were in favor of the constitution before the massachusetts convention convened in 1788. four states had already ratified the constitution. it's also important to know that you didn't need 13 states to ratify this new constitu, you just needed nine. so four had already ratified and on the day the massachusetts convention was to. connecticut also ratified. so now you are more halfway to the required states ratify before massachusetts has a chance to weigh in. federalists are the name given to the men who supported the constitution and they are excited that the states have already ratified but nervous

massachusetts. this political cartoon appears in the massachusetts and it would be revised each state approved. so can see where we are in the approval process connecticut has just built one of these five federal pillars. if you can see that this is a federalist without knowing anything else, because look where the pillar from massachusetts is coming. it is coming from the heavens, hoping that massachusetts, too, will comprise of these federal pillars. but hancock's home state is not simply another state. it is considered a swing. it had revolutionary credentials and clout, and as a result it was if it was ratified there, federalists thought that it would prompt states to do the same. new hampshire, its northern neighbor, waiting to hold their convention until massachusetts, weighed in.

federalists george washington and james madison worried that new york could also be swayed. the decision of massachusetts. washington acknowledged that it could also sway virginia. here's, he says. there is no however but the decision of. other states will have great influence here. here that is in virginia, particularly of one source spectacle as massachusetts federalists in massachusetts knew the stakes were high and knew who to lobby. the most popular man in massachusetts and the president of this constitutional convention john hancock delegate after delegate agreed that whichever side john hancock landed on would be victorious. for his part, hancock was wavering between both sides. he mostly that a constitution would take some of his authority as as the governor of a

sovereign. so federalists were caucusing after hours. they visited hancock in his home and made a couple of promises. they proposed a bargain if he supported the constitution he could propose changes to it. no had done this yet. in fact it was against the rules. you were supposed to vote for it or against it. but because massachusetts was so important and hancock was so important in massachusetts, they said, you can propose changes. the federalists knew that if hancock proposed changes, this might be good enough to bring others into the fold. they also dangled a very enticing prospect in front of him. if he ratified, he may be named president. they said that if virginia didn't ratify, maybe it would be hancock, who would become the first president. everyone agreed that if virginia ratified washington, washington

would, of course, become the first president. but they said maybe then you could be number two. so he had the the promise of incoming president or vice president in his mind. when hancock decided to support the constitution, this picture was much earlier in his life. but hancock wants make changes characteristic only. he had chosen a moderate path. he split the between support for and opposition to the constitution. he would vote to ratify, but not in its current form. he proposed nine amendments that focused the power of the states, which would be stripped by the constitution as it was currently. specifically hancock wanted states to have any that weren't specifically explicitly given to congress. he also wanted to prevent congress from directly taxing states until state legislatures

had the chance to raise the money themselves. the vote to ratify took place a few days later. it was an intense event. spectators arrive at nine that morning and they jealous slate guarded their seats during two hour adjournment in the middle of the day. no one moved. one spectator sent a boy to a nearby shop for his midday of cheese and gingerbread because he didn't want to give up his seat. just the decisive and divisive hancock. one of the most significant speeches of his life. no matter. which side prevailed? he quote, there can be no triumph on one side or chagrin on the other. and both if the anti-federalists defeated, they needed to accept that they were defeated and join in with the federalists. and the federalists could not gloat or be happy. half of the population was

unhappy. all delegates, spectators and citizens should sincerely lament the want of unanimity and strength endeavor to cultivate a spirit of conciliation throughout. the american revolution. hancock had at bringing people together. he could generally genuinely offer such for unity because was able to find merits on both sides. i'm to show you a picture of elbridge gerry. this is the guy who replaced thomas cushing in the second continental congress. gary being much more favoring independence. cushing. gary really did not like john hancock throughout their lives. he did not like him. he was a firm detractor. him. he is also the person who gives the name. gerrymandering comes from

elbridge gerry. he and gary frequently criticizes hancock. but listen to what he says. and after hancock supports the constitution, he took a fortunate course between the violence opposing factions. this is big praise from elbridge gary to soften. hancock relied on his reputation as a moderate and the social influence he had earned over the past 25 years. we all rise or fall together, hancock proclaimed. with that, the vote began in massachusetts. narrowly passed the constitution. and when i say narrowly i really mean it. it was a difference of 5% of the votes, which that had hancock come out as even hancock's influence had its limit. it did just enough to take people over to support the constitu ation. after hancock amendments, every

other state did the same. eventually, all of these amendments were rolled up. many amendments, and then ten were chosen. and these are bill of rights. these were not laws that were originally proposed by, the framers. they came from the conventions wanting changes. it's to ignore or malign moderates both in the time which they lived and in the historical record. this is often because they don't fit into the tidy category required when writing about a revolution or demand during a revolution. despite the way the american is often portrayed, however, the british colonists in north america were not a monolithic body wholly committed to tearing down a political structure they had known for a century, and a half. look, even a little bit under

the surface, and moderates visible everywhere. hancock, their leader. thank you. yes. thank you for a really outstanding. brooke, i wondered i've heard seem to have heard in the past that hancock won't be first commanding general the continental army. is that true? did you say he wanted to be? yes. so this is a good question. the question is, did he did, john hancock, want to be the general of the commanding commander in chief of the continental army? this depends on or not. you trust john adams. and that's a big if. john adams wrote a lot later in his life about these events and later in his life. he wrote that john hancock. it's this story kind of funny i

believe it to be true but i'll tell you guys anyway, because it gives you a view into john and john adams mindset. he also didn't like hancock much. when there was discussion needing a general for the continental army. john adams said that he and his cousin samuel adams, that they stood up and started praising someone that john hancock thought was him. and john adams said know because he was president sitting in the front the room. you saw that picture that john adams had this great view of his. and hancock looked excitement as he thought he was about to be named. and then adams said his counting fell. and never did i see a bigger look of mortification when george washington was named. okay, that's funny. sad little story. but no, there was no other crop

raiding evidence. the journals of the constitutional convention at congress. the excuse me, the journals at the continental congress simply state that washington was selected general hancock did want military experience. he served as the colonel of the corps of cadets in boston. he went down to newport, rhode island, when french naval arrived and was really hopeful he'd see battle. but there isn't any evidence that he wanted to be general. from john adams writing much later about it. and by the way, john adams said in that same story, said john adams or john hancock never loved me so well after. so he's clearly writing years later trying to embarrass hancock. i was just curious, as why john hancock never progressed in the federal government president, vice president member, the cabinet or.

i don't think he was even a senator. no, wasn't. when he left the second continental congress. he the highest position he would hold being governor of a at this time was a very high position, but not within federal government. he is the reason i mean, the reason he doesn't become vice president is something that the the electors would have to disclose. but he doesn't get a single vote for. so those promises that were made to him, he he gets sold out and it's not even. i think he gets four votes total. and many were concerned. and i write about this in the book that of his health. he was in poor health for much of his life. but by the 1780s and early 1790s, he he is unable to walk at times on own. he's unable to hold a quill. and some people thought he might soon die in the 1780s.

andt justidn't have that. the fortitude to serve in such a demanding office. he does young. he dies in 1793 at the age of 56. thank you very. we're sitting here in the headquarters of the society of the sensing body. so i wanted to know what the evolution of john hancock's thinking was about. the society which you know, i mean, henry, who's hanging on this wall, pulled together the troops to suppress shay's rebellion. general benjamin lincoln was commander of that. yes. and then as soon as hancock gets into office, he gives amnesty to all of those who. and then ultimately proves the bill of rights, the constitution, which sort of guaranteed the right to regress, treated grievances with the freedom of the press not built officers, which were things the

militias during that rebels unit had suppressed, had. so. so how is all of that connected? what's what's your understanding of that relationship. so i'm not sure if i can drive through line for you to connect those but hancock with shay's rebellion you mentioned benjamin lincoln is the one who takes on shay's rebellion. boden privately raises this militia. he asks for money from others in massachusetts because the legislature isn't going to fund this. this army to go west. and hancock notably, he is not on this list of of people supporting the the violence suppression of it. and hancock's amendment. it's don't go around the ones that you were and the ten bill of rights ultimately lee madison had over 100 amendments that he kind of had to filter and choose from. and hancock's biggest concerns were actually around congo,

around states powers being taken over by congress, ensuring that anything not explicitly given no power explicitly given to congress could then be given to state. so those were more his concerns about, the constitution. and this makes sense he's the governor of a sovereign state. at one point, hancock calls the states separate republics. we think today, as as all of these states being both sovereign, drew, as both being america and and a member of a state. but at the time that american national consciousness does not isn't present in the late 1780s and early 1790s. that doesn't come for some time. and so hancock is defensive of his rights as the governor of massachusetts. he finds that to be high national office. your about why he never served

in the government. he had it pretty good governor of massachusetts as well and he was he got over his suspicions enough but he he had concerns about overreaching central government. how did you choose. how did you choose to write. about john hancock. what made him your subject? thank you. so, john every american knows the name of john hancock went to the national archives today where the declaration of independence is and i loved hearing people talk about john hancock as were walking in and around the declaration of independence. every american knows his name but few know how in sensual and impactful he was in 18th century politics. he's rivaled in popularity, really at this time only by george washington and benjamin franklin. that's not precise. there's no, you know, polls taken for popularity at the

time. but he's so well and i wanted to bring that story forward. he's also a man of contradictions in that he's the wealthiest man in boston. but he sides with the poor and middling. time after time he looks so visibly everyone with his close his house and his carriage. and yet he was able to bring people his fold. and so was a story i wanted to bring forward. also, he's politically moderate and that's important too when talking about our revolution, that there were people who were figuring it out in the middle, who weren't always all in on on one side. and so and for all those reasons, i wanted to hancock forward. i will focus on the whole presentation earlier in the

presentation a mention was made that he signed the declaration of independence. i think it should be emphasized the people are the first signer over declaration of independence. you mention me. what is that film that so many native three? he was actually he was born in 1747. this was on a personal note on january 12, which happened to be my. and my question is about did the plantation of jericho played role in his life? sorry. can someone couldn't hear that? can you just say it a little louder? the last the last question. yes. the plantation of jericho, the play. any role in his life the plantation of jericho there of jericho? i i'm not familiar. i think he escaped from the british for a while. but anyway.

sorry. why did he say his name so big. okay. so. let's look at it. all the way at the beginning here. almost. okay. so he signs first and in the center because he's president of the continental congress. that's really it i liken this to sort of a birthday card in an office house or family when you're passing it around, you don't know how many people are going to sign or how big they're going to sign. on the original, there's plenty room for people to sign bigger, but they didn't. and so samuel adams, ironically, the who was so gung ho for independence, has one of the four smallest signatures. and then jonathan has has the biggest. but if you look at it, it's as

big as we popularly, but it is certainly the most distinguished again there isn't really a value that we can put on it, but just our eyes tell us that is the best it has what's called a paris or underneath that flourish, this little guy here that shows gentility and training and practice. there is others tried to do paris and they don't they're not successful. my favorite is benjamin franklin his pair efforts here it's kind of messy and it's not that the ink work isn't as clean and consistent so he didn't sign as big as we remember, but he signed in the center and the largest simply because he was president the idea of him signing so big so that king george the third could that was the story that's growing up but

standards. as we go from school so things are that's right that's not true that yeah that i'll tell you a couple of reasons why so i guess schoolchildren still learn this today. i learned this two days ago and but it's not true for a couple of simple reasons. one, there's only one surviving. excuse me. there's only one copy ever of this declaration of independence, signed by all 56 people, not one surviving copy. there was only ever one, and it was never intended to send to king george the third. this so was not it was not something that the king was ever intending to see. the declaration that people saw until 1818 was the typeset version called the the broadside. if you have seen a printed version of the declaration of independence, there's about 20 in circulation. it says at the bottom printed

john hancock president literally it wasn't until 1818 when americans saw all of these signatures, including for the first time that declaration of independence was very battered, had been nearly destroyed in the war of 1812, and they decided to make a copy of it and that further ruined it the way. but it ensured that we have these signatures and i guess when the myth of the spectacles comes around shortly after people start to see this and beautiful signature i mean it's it's really it's a it's a beautiful signature. he knew it. this is how signed personal letters to mean it's it's the olive branch petition was signed just a year earlier has the exact same bold bigger than everyone else's signature because he was president so not a true not true at all.

right because if you okay let's zoom in in we have one viewer that would like to what hancock was doing in lexington on the 19th of april. yeah that's a great question. so the provincial congress i mentioned was that body, legislative body, formally reject rule, british rule. they were meeting in concord, massachusetts, which is where second battle of the american revolution the revolutionary war happened. and instead of coming back from concord all the way back to boston, the revolution, provincial congress, and concluded their meetings. so they just stayed in lexington. hancock had a relative and they were staying in that. it wasn't safe in april 1775 for hancock to be in boston, british

had gone by his office by his home excuse me. and taunted him, saying, this will soon be ours. and so wasn't safe at that point for hancock to be in town. so he stayed in lexington the reason for paul revere's famous midnight ride is to warn hancock and. samuel adams, who was also in lexington at the that they were in danger. so they so revere and others thought great thank you. you know that you like to know following the war between, the boston massacre and the battle of bunker hill, what was the the personal relationship between joseph warren and john hancock yet seemed we don't have much at correspondence between them were mostly in the same city at the time but they were both based in we know and friendly lee when warren dies it's this is so sad

warren dies in the battle of bunker hill and, hancock writes him a letter the next day, not knowing that he had just died. and he says general, coming up, please make arrangements for him. you're going to like him and. then he says, as he does with. everyone, please write back to me. i need news from boston. how are you your sincere friend? i mean, it's really was devastating to read that knowing that not would warren never get that but that when hancock found out the news how how sad that would be for him and. we do have questions not only are people interested in your book they're also interested in your heel tavern tour. yes. because nothing says history like good beer, right? yes, exactly so can you tell us a little bit about that? happy, too. we have someone here who's been on our tours, who can attest how

fun they are. yeah. so they we ten historic sites in boston we stop at three taverns for a beer or cider. it's really fun and informative. we talk about the role alcohol in the american revolution again and it's a great to ours so you will tavern tours oh come see us when you're in boston are a lot of fun and and you a lot perfect all right so and if you are in boston go see her and we do have copies of her book the back table so purchase a book your way out. doctor barbie i want to thank you very much. i think we'll wrap it up there for being here and talking with us tonight, for all of you, for coming out in person and for those of you tuning in at home on zoom or wherever you are. so thank you very much for your continued support of our mission and we will see you next time. get safe. thank you. thank you, guys. thank you, guystonight's authorm

that is made possible in part by a from a generous gift from the massachusetts society of the cincinnati features dr. cynthia kerner discussing her new book, the tories wife, a woman and her family in