John Hancock

John Hancock (1737–1793) was a prominent Massachusetts merchant and statesman whose theological convictions, shaped by Congregationalist principles and Enlightenment thought, informed his vision of civic leadership as a moral obligation. His political philosophy, articulated through his role as President of the Continental Congress and Governor of Massachusetts, reflected the belief that rulers possessed a sacred duty to serve as benefactors to their people, a principle that aligned with both Puritan covenant theology and emerging republican ideals. Hancock's signature on the Declaration of Independence and his subsequent governance embodied his commitment to the proposition that legitimate authority derived from the consent of the governed and the ruler's dedication to the public good.