Biography of John Hancock, Founding Father

Biography of John Hancock, Founding Father John Hancock (January 23, 1737–October 8, 1793) is one of America’s best-known founding fathers thanks to his unusually oversized signature on the Declaration of Independence. However, before he autographed one of the nation’s most important documents, he made a name for himself as a wealthy merchant and prominent politician. Fast Facts: John Hancock Known for: Founding father with a prominent signature on the Declaration of IndependenceOccupation: Merchant and politician (president of the Second Continental Congress and governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts)Born: January 23, 1737 in Braintree, MADied: October 8, 1793 in Boston, MAParents: Col. John Hancock Jr. and Mary Hawke ThaxterSpouse: Dorothy QuincyChildren: Lydia and John George Washington Early Years John Hancock III was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, near Quincy, on January 23, 1737. He was the son of Rev. Col. John Hancock Jr., a soldier and clergyman, and Mary Hawke Thaxter. John had all the advantages of a life of privilege, by virtue of both money and lineage. When John was seven years old, his father died, and he was sent to Boston to live with his uncle, Thomas Hancock. Thomas occasionally worked as a smuggler, but over the years, he built up a successful and legitimate mercantile trading operation. He had established profitable contracts with the British government, and when John came to live with him, Thomas was one of the richest men in Boston. John Hancock spent much of his youth learning the family business, and eventually enrolled in Harvard College. Once he graduated, he went to work for Thomas. The firm’s profits, particularly during the French and Indian War, allowed John to live comfortably, and he developed a fondness for finely tailored clothes. For a few years, John lived in London, serving as a company representative, but he returned to the colonies in 1761 because of Thomas’ failing health. When Thomas died childless in 1764, he left his entire fortune to John, making him one of the richest men in the colonies overnight. Political Tensions Grow During the 1760s, Britain was in significant debt. The empire had just emerged from the Seven Years War, and needed to increase revenue quickly. As a result, a series of taxation acts were levied against the colonies. The Sugar Act of 1763 sparked anger in Boston, and men like Samuel Adams became outspoken critics of the legislation. Adams and others argued that only colonial assemblies had the authority to levy taxes upon the North American colonies; because the colonies had no representation in Parliament, Adams said, that governing body wasnt entitled to tax colonists. In early 1765, Hancock was elected to the Boston Board of Selectmen, the city’s governing body. Just a few months later, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which levied a tax upon any sort of legal document- wills, property deeds, and more- leading to enraged colonists rioting in the streets. Hancock disagreed with Parliament’s actions, but initially believed that the right thing for colonists to do was pay taxes as ordered. Eventually, however, he took a less moderate position, openly disagreeing with taxation laws. He participated in a vocal and public boycott of British imports, and when the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Samuel Adams, the leader of Boston’s Whig party, lent his support to Hancock’s political career, and served as a mentor as Hancock rose in popularity. An illustration depicting a group of rioting colonists protesting against the Stamp Act. MPI / Getty Images In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, a series of tax laws that regulated customs and imports. Once again, Hancock and Adams called for a boycott of British goods into the colonies, and this time, the Customs Board decided that Hancock had become a problem. In April 1768, Customs agents boarded one of Hancock’s merchant ships, the Lydia, in Boston Harbor. Upon discovering they had no warrant to search the hold, Hancock refused to give the agents access to the cargo area of the ship. The Customs Board filed charges against him, but the Massachusetts Attorney General dismissed the case, as no laws had been broken. A month later, the Customs Board targeted Hancock again; it is possible they believed he was smuggling, but it is also possible that he was singled out for his political stances. Hancock’s sloop Liberty arrived in port, and when customs officials inspected the hold the next day, found it was carrying Madeira wine. However, the stores were only at one-fourth of the ship’s capacity, and agents concluded that Hancock must have offloaded the bulk of the cargo during the night in order to avoid paying import taxes. In June, the Customs Board seized the ship, which led to a riot on the docks. Historians have differing opinions on whether Hancock was smuggling or not, but most are in agreement that his actions of resistance helped spark the flames of revolution. In 1770, five people were killed during the Boston Massacre, and Hancock led a call for the removal of British troops from the city. He told Governor Thomas Hutchinson that thousands of civilian militia were waiting to storm Boston if soldiers were not removed from their quarters, and although it was a bluff, Hutchinson agreed to remove his regiments to the outskirts of town. Hancock was given credit for the withdrawal of the British. Over the next few years, he remained active and outspoken in Massachusetts politics, and stood up against further British taxation laws, including the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea Party. Hancock and the Declaration of Independence In December 1774, Hancock was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia; around the same time, he was elected as president of the Provincial Congress. Hancock held significant political influence, and it was only because of Paul Revere’s heroic midnight ride that Hancock and Samuel Adams were not arrested before the battle of Lexington and Concord. Hancock served in Congress during the early years of the American Revolution, regularly writing to General George Washington and relaying requests for supplies to colonial officials. Despite his undoubtedly hectic political life, in 1775 Hancock took the time to get married. His new wife, Dorothy Quincy, was the daughter of prominent justice Edmund Quincy of Braintree. John and Dorothy had two children, but both children died young: their daughter Lydia passed away when she was ten months old, and their son John George Washington Hancock drowned at just eight years of age. Hancock was present when the Declaration of Independence was drafted and adopted. Although popular mythology has it that he signed his name largely and with flourish so King George could read it easily, there is no evidence that this is the case; the story likely originated years later. Other documents signed by Hancock indicate that his signature was consistently large. The reason his name appears at the top of the signatories is because he was president of the Continental Congress and signed first. Regardless, his iconic handwriting has become part of the American cultural lexicon. In common parlance, the phrase â€Å"John Hancock† is synonymous with â€Å"signature.† Fuse / Getty Images The official signed version of the Declaration of Independence, called the engrossed copy, wasn’t produced until after July 4, 1776, and was actually signed at the beginning of August. In fact, Congress kept the names of the signers secret for a while, as Hancock and the others risked being charged with treason if their role in the creation of the document was revealed. Later Life and Death In 1777, Hancock returned to Boston, and was re-elected to the House of Representatives. He spent years rebuilding his finances, which had suffered at the outbreak of the war, and continued working as a philanthropist. A year later, he led men into combat for the first time; as the senior major general of the state militia, he and several thousand troops joined General John Sullivan in an attack on a British garrison at Newport. Unfortunately, it was a disaster, and it was the end of Hancock’s military career. However, his popularity never dwindled, and in 1780 Hancock was elected governor of Massachusetts. Hancock was re-elected annually to the role of governor for the rest of his life. In 1789, he considered a run for the first president of the United States, but that honor ultimately fell to George Washington; Hancock received only four electoral votes in the election. His health was in decline, and on October 8, 1793, he passed away at Hancock Manor in Boston. Legacy After his death, Hancock largely faded from popular memory. This is in part due to the fact that unlike many of the other founding fathers, he left very few writings behind, and his house on Beacon Hill was torn down in 1863. It wasn’t until the 1970s that scholars began seriously investigating Hancock’s life, merits, and accomplishments. Today, numerous landmarks have been named after John Hancock, including the U.S. Navys USS Hancock as well as John Hancock University. Sources History.com, AE Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/john-hancock.â€Å"John Hancock Biography.† John Hancock, 1 Dec. 2012, www.john-hancock-heritage.com/biography-life/.Tyler, John W. Smugglers Patriots: Boston Merchants and the Advent of the American Revolution. Northeastern University Press, 1986.Unger, Harlow G. John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot. Castle Books, 2005.

Week 3 discussion question 1 and 2 Personal Statement

Week 3 discussion question 1 and 2 - Personal Statement Example In the case of the oil embargo, it was being done just because politicians were playing economic war games using the people as their pawns. 2. Nixon lied about his knowledge of the watergate break-in and then tried to cover it up. If he had been open and honest with the american people from the beginning of watergate, do you think that we would have a better view of Nixon today? As part of his legacy, do you currently think that we can no longer trust our president and other politians? What makes you think so? The problem with President Nixon and Watergate is that he knowingly and willfully broke the law of the land in order to fulfill his selfish needs. It would not have mattered if he had come clean from the very beginning and confessed his activities to the people, he would have still violated the public trust. It is because of presidents like him that we have come to develop a distrust for the office of the president when it comes to certain issues. The Nixon presidency showed us that the presidents office is the highest office in the land, and also the most graft and corruption prone. Therefore, it would take a different kind of president and transparency in the White House to bring back the blind faith that people once had in the Oval

To what extent was Malcolm X a typical American Or To what extent was Essay

To what extent was Malcolm X a typical American Or To what extent was Malcolm X a typical African-American A MUST At lease A- paper - Essay Example ntified himself as a Muslim and black American living in the white American society, there are characteristics that make him both typical American and African-American. Drawing primarily from his autobiography, specifically on the speeches he delivered during the height civil rights activism in the 1960s, this paper discusses the characteristics that make Malcolm X a typical American and African-American. This paper posits that religion is the common denominator found in Malcolm X’s being American and African-American. Malcolm X is a typical American because he subsists to the fundamentalist view of religion and politics: for him, African-American society should seek its own society independent from white American society and guided under the values and teachings of Islam. Malcolm X is also a typical African-American because he confronted his unique experience of oppression by subsisting to religion and faithfully following the teachings and religious principles of Islam. The first position this paper discusses is how Malcolm X became the typical American. As a Muslim fundamentalist, Malcolm X strictly adhered to the teachings of Islam, which includes the belief in establishing an independent society wherein the rules of Islam religion dominate and becomes the socio-political structure of this new, independent society. This is the proposition that has always been advocated by Malcolm X, citing how the religious teachings of Christianity have been used to oppress and take advantage of the African-American society. To demonstrate that the African-Americans always had the right to become independent from the white Americans, Malcolm X argued that the white man had ‘no sense of history.’ In his speech, â€Å"After the Bombing,† Malcolm X asserted that the Negro has a sense of history because all races take root from the Negro heritage—even the white man. From Latin America to Europe, the African-American race dominated the world, until the white

The Lymphatic System Essay Example for Free

The Lymphatic System Essay A. What was the purpose of doing this exercise? The purpose of this exercise was to learn about the lymphatic system and its components. We learned about lymph, structure and function of lymph nodes, T-Cells, B-Cells, and Macrophages, and differentiating between antigens and antibodies. Exercise 1: Microscopic Anatomy of Lymphatic Structures A. Sketch of Reticular Connective Tissue Slide (Lymph Node). Describe the structures you observed on the slide. B. Sketch of Spleen Slide: Describe the structures you observed on the slide. C. Sketch of Tonsil Slide: Describe the structures you observed on the slide. D. Sketch of Thymus Slide: Describe the structures you observed on the slide. Exercise 2: Immunity and the Immune Respose A. Describe what happened to the red and green food coloring after 45 minutes. The food coloring spread throughout some of the dish. B. Which sera was an antigen in section 2 of the dish? Describe what you observed in section 2 of the dish. After 3 days, there was no visible line of precipitation evident and therefore the result is inconclusive. C. Which sera was the antigen in the â€Å"unknown† sample used in section 3 of the dish? Describe what you observed in section 3 of the dish. After 3 days, there was no visible line of precipitation evident and therefore the result is inconclusive. Picture of the Agar Plate After 3 Days Questions Exercise 1: Microscopic Anatomy of Lymphatic Structures A. How are lymph, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes related? Lymph, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes are all part of the lymphatic system. Lymph vessels carry lymph throughout the body. Throughout the vessles are lymph nodes which fight infection. B. What are the two major functions of the lymph nodes? They clean and filter lymph before it goes back to the blood. They produce antibodies and lymphocytes. C. What are the two functions of the spleen? It protects the body and helps to produce and store blood cells. D. What is the function of the tonsils? They protect the body from harmful germs. E. What are the structural similarities found in lymph nodes, spleen and tonsils? They all have a capsule and are rounded organs with an internal parenchyma of lymphoid cells. Exercise 2: Immunity and the Immune Response A. Explain what is meant by â€Å"memory† as a characteristic of the immune response. When the body comes in contact with a harmful antigen, it has a primary response, which remembers the antigen by creating memory cells. By the secondary response, the memory cells will counteract the antigen. B. How does our immune response distinguish between our own cells and foreign invaders? A major histocompatibility complex is at the surface of each cell in our body. It is what recognizes if something is foreign or not, and lets the immune system know. B. What are lymphocytes and where are they produced? Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that protect the body from infection. They are produced in the bone marrow. C. Distinguish between an antigen and an antibody. An antigen is a foreign material that enters the body, and an antibody is what recognizes the foreign material and helps fight it.

Raves :: essays research papers fc

Social Problems of Ecstasy and Raves Throughout American history drugs have posed a problem to society and lawmakers. Many attempts have transpired to try to prevent future problems associated with drugs. Many of the drugs threatening America were originally designed toward the improvement of human health. The most recent epidemic of recreational drug use is ecstasy. Ecstasy’s popularity is particularly in the possession of the nations youth. The institute of use is at all-night clubs and bars within many large cities. Recent research has been completed about the problems and long term effects of the drug. Does the new era of rave clubs and club drugs such as ecstasy pose a great threat to society? Before analyzing the societal problems associated with ecstasy it is important to understand what it is and its background. Ecstasy or MDMA (methylenedioxmethamphetamine) first originated in 1914 and was used as an appetite suppressant; it was not heavily used again until the 1970â €™s and was used to treat psychological disorders. Finally in the 1980’s the drug administration banned any open use of ecstasy because of recent test results proving it causes health problems. Recently the drug has become very popular and the rising popularity is from the influence of the rave movement. Boom, Boom, Boom. The sound of the new innovative music, responsible for cultivating and transforming society erupts from the speakers of a rave. Codes of conduct at raves are nonexistent. With out rules the crowds are encouraged to participate in whatever they find pleasing. People attend the raves to dance, but in actuality the ravers seek thrill through clandestine actions. Raves usually are praised for creating peaceful and positive vibes, but in spite of the fun and happiness created, raves also have many downfalls. Raving is an all-night activity. Large quantities of "rave kids" use mind and body altering drugs enabling them to indulge in a night of dancin g and immoral behavior. Ecstasy is a quintessential part of entertainment at the rave scene. The drug enhances the scene and the raver does not fully appreciate the moment unless in an altered state of mind. Kids who use ecstasy roam around the scene lost, and not in touch with reality. The ravers are experiencing the moment, but to others it sounds as if they are experiencing mass confusion. Some "ravers" consider alcohol to be a â€Å"square† drug, and therefore seek an alternate source of synthetic energy, such as ecstasy.

Holistic/Direct Observation/Witness Statement Professional Discussion Essay

Outcome 1.1: How do you review the range of individuals and groups in your workplace whose communication needs must be addressed? As an assistant manager I have a responsibility to my residents, to accommodate, and provide support for all residents, and their individual communication needs. By performing assessments with individual residents, I am able to understand the problems they have with communication, and actions and aids we can supply, to enable them to communicate effectively. In assessing communication needs, I need to consider each individual, and cater for the individual’s needs. I need to consider ‘groups’ of individuals, for instance males/females, foreign speaking users, deaf/Blind users etc. The actions and aids we supply for communication needs should benefit not just the individual, but the group of service users as a whole, and encourage interaction, inclusion, and social contacts. Regular reviews should be performed to ensure individual needs are being met and I do this during my 3 monthly care plan reviews. Outcome 1.2: Explain how you support effective communication within your job role To support effective communication within my job role I encourage the staff and clients to discuss any concerns or suggestions they may have to improve the care and service we provide. This Is done through supervisions/appraisals and we also give the staff the opportunity to make suggestions in our staff meetings. Staff are encouraged to put any points they would like to raise in writing and hand to myself or the manager for team discussion at the meeting. Our clients have the opportunity to raise any issues or concerns at the resident meetings that are held every two months, and also via their keyworker on a monthly basis. Staff and clients are also able to discuss any issue in confidence with myself or the manager in private. Outcome 1.3: Explain how you analyse the barriers and challenges to communication within your own job role. There are several barriers that may affect the flow of communication. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The first barriers to check out are those that an employee could be creating. People may think that they are doing everything possible to assist communication, but they should make sure that they are not making it difficult for people to understand what they say for instance using abbreviations another person does not understand. People should avoid professional jargon and terminology. Also to speak as clearly as possible and repeat themselves if necessary. Someone with a strong accent may find it increasing difficult to make themselves understood. Physical barriers – these are due to the nature of the environment where people are trying to communicate. It could be there are distractions or noise, such as the TV on or interferences from a loudspeaker. Other problems may be caused by faulty equipment and it is important to check things such as hearing aids on a regular basis to make sure they are working effectively. Outcome 2.1: Explain how you monitor the effectiveness of communication systems and practices in your work place. This is monitored through supervision and appraisal, quality assurance survey, daily reports and handovers. Outcome 2.2: Explain how and why you should evaluate existing communication systems and practices We evaluate by communicating on a regular basis with staff and clients through meetings and informal chats to make sure systems and practices are working effectively. This is important to maintain a high standard of communication and care, and to minimise the risk of important information being lost or overlooked. Outcome 2.3: What improvements would you propose to put in place for the communication systems and practices used which will address any shortcomings? I would propose regular training updates for staff and maintain a close working relationship with our local gp’s and district nurse team to keep informed of any changes on either side. Outcome 3.2: How do you compare the effectiveness of different communication systems for partnership working? Effective partnership working is built upon a clear understanding of the different roles each person has in supporting the client. Increasing clarity and agreement about roles and responsibilities improves understanding, and leads to mutually supportive relationships. We compare the effectiveness by keeping open close lines of communication with all agencies that maybe involved in an individual’s care and relaying appropriate information to those involved. We also send out annual quality assurance surveys to all agencies we work with and the families of our clients. Collating or collecting information is essential in monitoring the effectiveness of the  communication systems. We can collect the information observing, getting feedback from others and recording information. So we need to work with others to identify ways to support the continued development of communication. Care professionals communicate with colleagues and other professionals in many contexts every day. Effe ctive communication requires personal and professional respect for others, trust in the judgement and values of colleagues, good verbal and listening skills. Outcome 3.3: What improvements would you propose to make improvements to communication systems for partnership working? I would propose a main point of contact for each team involved and regular group meetings to discuss issues that may arise, also regular feedback sessions to ensure we are working together effectively. Outcome 4.1: Explain legal and ethical tensions between maintaining confidentiality and sharing information. This arises when you feel someone in your care maybe suffering from some form of abuse from either a family member or member of staff or they have told you something in strict confidence. You have a duty of care to protect the individual but the tensions may arise if the client has told you something in confidence but you feel action needs to be taken and you have to pass sensitive information to a third party. Outcome 4.2: What are the essential features of information sharing agreements within and between organisations? Information needed for the safety and wellbeing of a client should only be passed on to outside agencies after consultation with the client and only after their consent has been obtained. Information should only be shared on a need to know basis and total respect must be given to confidentiality regarding all aspects of a client’s care.

Mr. Robert Worstell s Invisible Man - 1937 Words

Jordan Welty Mr. Robert Worstell AP Literature and Composition Wednesday, August 26, 2015 In all stories, novels, and plays, cultural, physical, and geographical surroundings not only affect the plots of literature, but also shape psychological and moral traits in all characters. Pauline Hopkins said in Contending Forces, â€Å"And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives as much as fate, destiny, or any supernatural agency.† This can be seen in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. In the prologue of the novel, the narrator immediately tells the reader that he is an invisible man, but he is not talking about physically. He states, â€Å"I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. That invisibility to which I refer occurs†¦show more content†¦I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy’s country since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ’em with yeses, undermine ’em with grins, agree ’em to death and destruction, let ’em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open. Learn it to the younguns,† (Ellison, page 16). These words had an impact on the narrator all throughout his life and led to him accepting his invisibility at the end of the novel. When the narrator was a junior in college, he had his first experience with betrayal. He was asked to drive a wealthy white trustee of the college named Mr. Norton around the campus. Mr. Norton asked the narrator to drive him to the old slave quarters, where he meets a sharecropper named Jim Trueblood. After listening to Trueblood talk about getting his own daughter pregnant, Mr. Norton began to feel faint and asked the narrator to get him some whiskey. The narrator took him to the Golden Day, a saloon for black people and mentally imbalanced veterans. Once Mr. Norton regained consciousness, the narrator got him back to the college and had to face Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the col lege. Dr. Bledsoe was very angry with the narrator for not showing Mr. Norton an idealized version of black life. Dr. Bledsoe lectured, â€Å"Ordered you? He ordered you. Dammit, white folk are always giving orders, it’s a habit