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Heck, almost everyone knows that when John Hancock boldly signed his name, he said something like, "There, I guess King George will be able to read that!" A good story, and one we like, but according to Snopes.com, it's not so. In reality, John Hancock was extremely wealthy and risked it all on the success of the American Revolution. On May 24, 1775, he began serving as president of the Second Continental Congress. This was the group that approved the Declaration of Independence. According to legend, all the delegates signed the document after being encouraged
by Mr. Hancock's bold signature. Once again, not true. In actuality, Congress adjourned, and Hancock made some approved revisions to the document. He then signed it in the presence of one person, Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress. But the big signature? It's just the way Hancock signed his name. It was in the center, since it was the first and only signature at that time. The other 55 delegates didn't sign the Declaration until August 2, 1776, or later.
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