John Hancock
John Hancock was a man who had an intense sense of pride in this patriotic movement. A resident of Massachusetts his entire life, Hancock grew up wealthy after inheriting a fortune from his rich Uncle. He was easily the richest of the founding fathers and used that money to aid in the cause.
Thanks to his wealth and passion, he entered the field of politics and began to vocally denounce British control of the colonies. It was because of his activism that he was elected as president of the Second Continental Congress.
As president of the meeting when it was introduced, Hancock was given the honor of being the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence. He also was the one who signed his name the largest, causing his name to be tied with signatures forever more.
Thanks to the notoriety this brought him, Hancock became a fugitive from the British Crown and had to lie low until after the Revolution subsided. In 1780, though, while still a fugitive, he became the Governor of Massachusetts. Hancock would hold this position until his death 1793.