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130-698: Esek Hopkins was born in Scituate , in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , into one of the most prominent families of what is today's Rhode Island . At the age of twenty he went to sea and rapidly came to the fore as a good sailor and skillful trader. Before the Revolutionary War he had sailed to nearly every quarter of the Earth, and commanded a privateer in the French and Indian War . In

260-558: A Federal Communications Commission Radio Intelligence Division monitoring facility on Darby Road near Chopmist Hill ( 41°49′11″N 71°38′43″W  /  41.8198°N 71.6453°W  / 41.8198; -71.6453 ) intercepted German HF communications. Because of this, in 1946, the Chopmist Hill area was considered as a candidate for the location of the headquarters of the United Nations. According to

390-921: A casual acquaintance of young John Adams , whom the Reverend Hancock had baptized in 1735. The Hancocks lived a comfortable life and owned one slave to help with household work. After Hancock's father died in 1744, he was sent to live with his uncle and aunt, Thomas Hancock and Lydia (Henchman) Hancock. Thomas Hancock was the proprietor of a firm known as the House of Hancock, which imported manufactured goods from Britain and exported rum, whale oil, and fish. Thomas Hancock's highly successful business made him one of Boston's richest and best-known residents. He and Lydia, along with several servants and slaves, lived in Hancock Manor on Beacon Hill . The couple, who did not have any children of their own, became

520-472: A central government. In January 1788, Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts ratifying convention, although he was ill and not present when the convention began. Hancock mostly remained silent during the contentious debates, but as the convention was drawing to close, he gave a speech in favor of ratification. For the first time in years, Samuel Adams supported Hancock's position. Even with

650-475: A dam across the Pawtuxet River at the former village of Kent. The dam, principally of earth, is about 3,200 feet (980 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) high. Water storage in the reservoir began on November 10, 1925. An aqueduct from the dam feeds the nearby treatment plant which was placed in operation on September 30, 1926. The Scituate Reservoir is the largest artificial freshwater body of water in

780-587: A different document—a sheet of parchment that was carefully handwritten sometime after July 19 and signed on August 2 by Hancock and those delegates present. Known as the engrossed copy, this is the famous document on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In October 1777, after more than two years in Congress, Hancock requested a leave of absence. He asked Washington to arrange

910-487: A foppish demagogue who pandered to the populace. Hancock governed Massachusetts through the end of the Revolutionary War and into an economically troubled postwar period, repeatedly winning re-election by wide margins. Hancock took a hands-off approach to governing, avoiding controversial issues as much as possible. According to William Fowler, Hancock "never really led" and "never used his strength to deal with

1040-429: A great deal of official correspondence, and he found it necessary to hire clerks at his own expense to help with the paperwork. In Congress on June 15, 1775, Massachusetts delegate John Adams nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief of the army then gathered around Boston. Years later, Adams wrote that Hancock had shown great disappointment at not getting the command for himself. This brief comment from 1801

1170-431: A military escort for his return to Boston. Although Washington was short on manpower, he nevertheless sent fifteen horsemen to accompany Hancock on his journey home. By this time Hancock had become estranged from Samuel Adams, who disapproved of what he viewed as Hancock's vanity and extravagance, which Adams believed were inappropriate in a republican leader. When Congress voted to thank Hancock for his service, Adams and

1300-638: A more efficient customs system was necessary because many colonial American merchants had been smuggling. Smugglers violated the Navigation Acts by trading with ports outside of the British Empire and avoiding import taxes. Parliament hoped that the new system would reduce smuggling and generate revenue for the government. Colonial merchants, even those not involved in smuggling, found the new regulations oppressive. Other colonists protested that new duties were another attempt by Parliament to tax

1430-638: A press gang. After the riot, customs officials relocated to the Romney and then to Castle William (an island fort in the harbor), claiming that they were unsafe in town. Whigs insisted that the customs officials were exaggerating the danger so that London would send troops to Boston. British officials filed two lawsuits stemming from the Liberty incident: an in rem suit against the ship and an in personam suit against Hancock. Royal officials as well as Hancock's accuser stood to gain financially since, as

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1560-606: A prosperous family of Newport, thus increasing his influence in Rhode Island. The marriage produced 9 children, including John Burroughs Hopkins (1742–1796), a participant in the Gaspee Affair , who later became a captain in the Continental Navy ; and Susannah Hopkins (1756–1850), who married Jonathan Maxcy , a Baptist minister and second president of the formerly Baptist-affiliated Brown University , which

1690-449: A protégé of Samuel Adams , an influential local politician, though the two men later became estranged. Hancock used his wealth to support the colonial cause as tensions increased between colonists and Great Britain in the 1760s. He became very popular in Massachusetts, especially after British officials seized his sloop Liberty in 1768 and charged him with smuggling. Those charges were eventually dropped; he has often been described as

1820-651: A resolution to have a schooner remade into a war ship and named the Hopkins, although there are no records that indicate his resolution was fulfilled. Hopkins' little fleet was mostly blockaded in Narragansett Bay by the superior British sea power for the rest of Hopkins' tenure as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy, partly due to the fact that he had inadequate manpower to confront the enemy. A group of Hopkins' officers finally went directly to

1950-477: A second broadside was issued six months later with all of the signers listed, Hancock was the only delegate whose name was publicly attached to the treasonous document. Hancock sent a copy of the Dunlap broadside to George Washington, instructing him to have it read to the troops "in the way you shall think most proper". Hancock's name was printed, not signed, on the Dunlap broadside; his iconic signature appears on

2080-540: A slave-trading vessel at the time, and the 15-month voyage would result in the death of 109 out of 196 slaves. In late 1765, Sally arrived at its first trading destination in the West Indies , but the surviving African captives were in such poor health that most sold for very little. Hopkins' disastrous command of Sally contributed to Moses Brown's turn against participation in the Atlantic slave trade . Hopkins

2210-473: A smuggler in historical accounts, but the accuracy of this characterization has been questioned. Hancock was born on January 23, 1737, in Braintree, Massachusetts , in a part of town that eventually became the separate city of Quincy . He was the son of Colonel John Hancock Jr. of Braintree and Mary Hawke Thaxter (widow of Samuel Thaxter Junior), who was from nearby Hingham . As a child, Hancock became

2340-514: A somber, Puritan outlook that stood in marked contrast to Hancock's taste for luxury and extravagance. Apocryphal stories later portrayed Adams as masterminding Hancock's political rise so that the merchant's wealth could be used to further the Whig agenda. Historian James Truslow Adams portrays Hancock as shallow and vain, easily manipulated by Adams. Historian William M. Fowler , who wrote biographies of both men, argues that this characterization

2470-493: Is the only source for the oft-cited claim that Hancock sought to become commander-in-chief. In the early 20th century, historian James Truslow Adams wrote that the incident initiated a lifelong estrangement between Hancock and Washington, but some subsequent historians have expressed doubt that the incident, or the estrangement, ever occurred. According to historian Donald Proctor, "There is no contemporary evidence that Hancock harbored ambitions to be named commander-in-chief. Quite

2600-446: The 2008 U.S. presidential election , Scituate was the only town in Rhode Island to vote for John McCain , 51%–47% over Barack Obama . It is the only town in Rhode Island to vote Republican in every presidential election since 2000. Despite this, in earlier days the town was solidly Democratic, with Democrat William Jennings Bryan carrying the town in 1908 United States presidential election despite losing statewide by 25 points. In

2730-526: The 2016 Presidential election , Donald Trump won 60.2% of the vote in Scituate. Opponent Hillary Clinton received 34.8% of the town vote. In 2020, Donald Trump received 57.0^% of the town vote, to Joe Biden's 40.9% In the concurrent Senate election, incumbent Democratic Senator Jack Reed received 50.25% of the town vote, to Republican Allen Water's 49.57% As of the census of 2000, there were 10,324 people, 3,780 households, and 2,929 families residing in

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2860-589: The Boston Cadets , a militia unit whose primary function was to provide a ceremonial escort for the governor and the General Court. In May, Hutchinson even approved Hancock's election to the Council , the upper chamber of the General Court, whose members were elected by the House but subject to veto by the governor. Hancock's previous elections to the council had been vetoed, but now Hutchinson allowed

2990-716: The Esek Hopkins House , is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Three United States Navy vessels have been named USS  Hopkins in his honor, two destroyers and a patrol boat. A statue of Hopkins by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson was dedicated in 1891 on the site of the former Hopkins family cemetery at Charles and Branch Street. In June 2020, the Providence School Board voted to remove Hopkins' name from Esek Hopkins Middle School , citing Hopkins' association with

3120-674: The First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which was being organized to coordinate colonial response to the Coercive Acts. Hancock did not serve in the first Congress, possibly for health reasons or possibly to remain in charge while the other Patriot leaders were away. Gage dismissed Hancock from his post as colonel of the Boston Cadets. In October 1774, Gage canceled the scheduled meeting of

3250-416: The Liberty without paying the duties. If convicted, the defendants would have had to pay a penalty of triple the value of the wine, which came to £ 9,000. With John Adams serving as his lawyer, Hancock was prosecuted in a highly publicized trial by a vice admiralty court , which had no jury and was not required to allow the defense to cross-examine the witnesses. After dragging out for nearly five months,

3380-470: The Liberty . Bostonians were already angry because the captain of the Romney had been impressing colonists and not just deserters from the Royal Navy , an arguably illegal activity. A riot broke out when officials began to tow the Liberty out to the Romney , which was also arguably illegal. The confrontation escalated when sailors and marines coming ashore to seize the Liberty were mistaken for

3510-551: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 54.8 square miles (141.9 km ), of which, 48.7 square miles (126.1 km ) of it is land and 6.1 square miles (15.8 km ) of it (11.15%) is water. One of the most prominent features of the town is the Scituate Reservoir. The large reservoir spans a large portion of Scituate and has forever changed the face of

3640-553: The public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Scituate, Rhode Island Scituate ( / ˈ s ɪ tʃ u eɪ t , - ɪ t / ; SIH -choo-ayt, -⁠it ) is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island , United States. The population was 10,384 at the 2020 census . Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts . The original spelling of

3770-516: The American cause and to distress the Enemy by all means in your power." Hopkins took command of eight small merchant ships that had been altered as men-of-war at Philadelphia . After much deliberation about taking on the overwhelming British forces listed in his orders, Hopkins utilized the last portion of his orders. He sailed south on February 17, 1776, for the first U.S. fleet operation that took

3900-835: The Articles of Confederation, delegates were first sent to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and then to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where they drafted the United States Constitution , which was then sent to the states for ratification or rejection. Hancock, who was not present at the Philadelphia Convention, had misgivings about the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights and its shift of power to

4030-592: The Bahamas and the escape of Glasgow was used by politically charged legislators against him. Even with the impassioned defense of John Adams, the Continental Congress voted on 2 January 1778 to relieve Hopkins of his command permanently. Nevertheless, the first action of Hopkins, in Nassau, which proved later to be an effective method for the Continental Navy to use against an overwhelming British Navy,

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4160-617: The Boston Committee of Correspondence in November 1772 to advocate colonial rights, Hancock declined to join, creating the impression that there was a split in the Whig ranks. But whatever their differences, Hancock and Adams came together again in 1773 with the renewal of major political turmoil. They cooperated in the revelation of private letters of Thomas Hutchinson, in which the governor seemed to recommend "an abridgement of what are called "English liberties" to bring order to

4290-639: The British ships they conquered as their own. They therefore were able to pay their seamen and officers nearly twice the amount that the Continental Navy could pay their crews, since the items captured by Continental ships went for the good of the colonies. Even after the Congress built and outfitted several more ships for Commodore Hopkins to use, he could not find adequate personnel to man the ships. John Adams , Samuel Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Richard Henry Lee , Robert Treat Paine , and John Paul Jones came to

4420-422: The Congress while at the same time leaving their ships without permission. Later it was determined that the allegations the officers took to Congress could not be substantiated— not in time, however, to squelch what was to happen. Pressure on the nature of Hopkins' character and ability became increasingly significant. Even though John Hancock had congratulated Hopkins at the time, Hopkins' decision to go to Nassau in

4550-461: The Congress. What happened next in the ensuing months was politically complex and controversial. The Continental Congress and individual state governors through their legislatures allowed privately owned ships to help in the battle against Britain by issuing letters of marque . There were virtually thousands of these ships, which overtook British ships, contributing to the war effort at sea. These privateer ships were allowed to claim any items found on

4680-615: The Continental Congress, wrote Hopkins: "I beg leave to congratulate you on the success of your Expedition. Your account of the spirit and bravery shown by the men affords them [Congress] the greatest satisfaction..." Not only did Hopkins' expedition get needed war supplies for the Continental Army, but it showed the British Navy that they would have to divert their ships from the belligerent colonies to protect non-belligerent areas, thereby leaving fewer British ships to fight on

4810-613: The French colony of Martinique in the West Indies. Governor Hancock wrote to the governors of the islands on their behalf. As a result, the three men were released and returned to Massachusetts. Hancock was re-elected to annual terms as governor for the remainder of his life. When he had resigned as governor in 1785, Hancock was again elected as a delegate to Congress, known as the Confederation Congress after

4940-626: The French fleet had come to the aid of the Americans, General Washington instructed General John Sullivan to lead an attack on the British garrison at Newport, Rhode Island , in August 1778. Hancock nominally commanded 6,000 militiamen in the campaign, although he let the professional soldiers do the planning and issue the orders. It was a fiasco: French Admiral d'Estaing abandoned the operation, after which Hancock's militia mostly deserted Sullivan's Continentals. Hancock suffered some criticism for

5070-638: The General Court. In response, the House resolved itself into the Massachusetts Provincial Congress , a body independent of British control. Hancock was elected as president of the Provincial Congress and was a key member of the Committee of safety . The Provincial Congress created the first minutemen companies, consisting of militiamen who were to be ready for action on a moment's notice. On December 1, 1774,

5200-573: The House of Hancock as his uncle's health failed, becoming a full partner in January 1763. He became a member of the Masonic Lodge of St. Andrew in October 1762, which connected him with many of Boston's most influential citizens. When Thomas Hancock died in August 1764, John inherited the business, Hancock Manor, two or three household slaves, and thousands of acres of land, becoming one of

5330-825: The Marine Committee and took pride in helping to create a small fleet of American frigates, including the USS Hancock , which was named in his honor. Hancock was president of Congress when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed. He is primarily remembered by Americans for his large, flamboyant signature on the Declaration, so much so that "John Hancock" became, in the United States, an informal synonym for signature . According to legend, Hancock signed his name largely and clearly so that King George could read it without his spectacles, but

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5460-495: The Patriot leaders. Gage apparently decided that he had nothing to gain by arresting Hancock and Adams, since other leaders would simply take their place, and the British would be portrayed as the aggressors. Although Gage had evidently decided against seizing Hancock and Adams, Patriots initially believed otherwise. From Boston, Joseph Warren dispatched messenger Paul Revere to warn Hancock and Adams that British troops were on

5590-538: The Providence and Danielson Railway system". (2) The hamlets of Kent, Richmond, Rockland, South Scituate, Ashland, Saundersville, Ponaganset and parts of North Scituate and Clayville disappeared forever. Scituate has played an important role in many of the United States wars. During the Revolutionary War, 76 cannons were forged at the Hope Furnace in the village of Hope in southern Scituate. During World War II,

5720-647: The Provincial Congress elected Hancock as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress to replace James Bowdoin , who had been unable to attend the first Congress because of illness. Before Hancock reported to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the Provincial Congress unanimously re-elected him as their president in February 1775. Hancock's multiple roles gave him enormous influence in Massachusetts, and as early as January 1774 British officials had considered arresting him. After attending

5850-623: The Provincial Congress in Concord in April 1775, Hancock and Samuel Adams decided that it was not safe to return to Boston before leaving for Philadelphia. They stayed instead at Hancock's childhood home in Lexington . Gage received a letter from Lord Dartmouth on April 14, 1775, advising him "to arrest the principal actors and abettors in the Provincial Congress whose proceedings appear in every light to be acts of treason and rebellion". On

5980-717: The United States, John Hancock or Hancock has become a colloquialism for a person's signature. He also signed the Articles of Confederation , and used his influence to ensure that Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution in 1788. Before the American Revolution, Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in the Thirteen Colonies , having inherited a profitable mercantile business from his uncle. He began his political career in Boston as

6110-776: The action, although he was careful not to publicly praise the destruction of private property. Over the next few months, Hancock was disabled by gout , which troubled him with increasing frequency in the coming years. By March 5, 1774, he had recovered enough to deliver the fourth annual Massacre Day oration, a commemoration of the Boston Massacre. Hancock's speech denounced the presence of British troops in Boston, who he said had been sent there "to enforce obedience to acts of Parliament, which neither God nor man ever empowered them to make". The speech, probably written by Hancock in collaboration with Adams, Joseph Warren , and others,

6240-541: The agents who had been appointed to receive the tea shipments. Unsuccessful in this, they attempted to prevent the tea from being unloaded after three tea ships had arrived in Boston Harbor. Hancock was at the fateful meeting on December 16 where he reportedly told the crowd, "Let every man do what is right in his own eyes." Hancock did not take part in the Boston Tea Party that night, but he approved of

6370-488: The appointed head of customs in New England, brought 36 seizures to trial from 1680 to the end of 1682—and all but two of these were acquitted. Alternatively, merchants sometimes took matters into their own hands and stole illicit goods back while impounded. The Sugar Act provoked outrage in Boston, where it was widely viewed as a violation of colonial rights. Men such as James Otis and Samuel Adams argued that because

6500-426: The arrest of Richard Marven and Samuel Shaw , a pair of early whistle-blowers, due to their having reported his torture of British prisoners of war . Hopkins's subsequent institution of criminal libel proceedings against Marven and Shaw is single-handedly responsible for the resolution of Congress "That it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, all well as all other inhabitants thereof to give

6630-405: The average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. The median income for a household in the town

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6760-412: The case was dropped when Massachusetts Attorney General Jonathan Sewall ruled that Hancock had broken no laws. Later, some of Hancock's most ardent admirers called this incident the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies and credit Hancock with initiating the American Revolution. The next incident proved to be a major event in the coming of the American Revolution. On

6890-586: The college more than £1,000 to resolve the matter. Hancock served in Congress through some of the darkest days of the Revolutionary War. The British drove Washington from New York and New Jersey in 1776, which prompted Congress to flee to Baltimore . Hancock and Congress returned to Philadelphia in March 1777 but were compelled to flee six months later when the British occupied Philadelphia . Hancock wrote innumerable letters to colonial officials, raising money, supplies, and troops for Washington's army. He chaired

7020-437: The college since 1773, he had been entrusted with the school's financial records and about £15,000 in cash and securities. In the rush of events at the onset of the Revolutionary War, Hancock had been unable to return the money and accounts to Harvard before leaving for Congress. In 1777, a Harvard committee headed by James Bowdoin, Hancock's chief political and social rival in Boston, sent a messenger to Philadelphia to retrieve

7150-600: The colonies without their consent. Hancock joined other Bostonians in calling for a boycott of British imports until the Townshend duties were repealed. In their enforcement of the customs regulations, the Customs Board targeted Hancock, Boston's wealthiest Whig. They may have suspected that he was a smuggler or they may have wanted to harass him because of his politics, especially after Hancock snubbed Governor Francis Bernard by refusing to attend public functions when

7280-508: The colonies, beginning with the Sugar Act of 1764. The earlier Molasses Act of 1733 , a tax on shipments from the West Indies, had produced hardly any revenue because it was widely bypassed by smuggling, which was seen as a victimless crime . Not only was there little social stigma attached to smuggling in the colonies, but in port cities where trade was the primary generator of wealth, smuggling enjoyed considerable community support, and it

7410-399: The colonists should submit to the act even though he believed that Parliament was misguided. Within a few months Hancock had changed his mind, although he continued to disapprove of violence and the intimidation of royal officials by mobs. Hancock joined the resistance to the Stamp Act by participating in a boycott of British goods, which made him popular in Boston. After Bostonians learned of

7540-447: The colonists were not represented in Parliament, they could not be taxed by that body; only the colonial assemblies, where the colonists were represented, could levy taxes upon the colonies. Hancock was not yet a political activist; however, he criticized the tax for economic, rather than constitutional, reasons. Hancock emerged as a leading political figure in Boston just as tensions with Great Britain were increasing. In March 1765, he

7670-411: The colony. The Massachusetts House, blaming Hutchinson for the military occupation of Boston, called for his removal as governor. Even more trouble followed Parliament's passage of the 1773 Tea Act . On November 5, Hancock was elected as moderator at a Boston town meeting that resolved that anyone who supported the Tea Act was an "Enemy to America". Hancock and others tried to force the resignation of

7800-418: The confidence of moderate delegates, while his association with Boston radicals made him acceptable to other radicals. His position was somewhat ambiguous because the role of the president was not fully defined, and it was not clear if Randolph had resigned or was on a leave of absence. Like other presidents of Congress, Hancock's authority was mostly limited to that of a presiding officer. He also had to handle

7930-440: The contrary." Hancock and Washington maintained a good relationship after the alleged incident, and in 1778 Hancock named his only son John George Washington Hancock . Hancock admired and supported General Washington, even though Washington politely declined Hancock's request for a military appointment. When Congress recessed on August 1, 1775, Hancock took the opportunity to wed his fiancée, Dorothy "Dolly" Quincy . The couple

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8060-506: The critical issues confronting the commonwealth." Hancock governed until his surprise resignation on January 29, 1785. Hancock cited his failing health as the reason, but he may have become aware of growing unrest in the countryside and wanted to get out of office before the trouble came. Hancock's critics sometimes believed that he used claims of illness to avoid difficult political situations. Historian James Truslow Adams writes that Hancock's "two chief resources were his money and his gout,

8190-447: The customs officials were present. On April 9, 1768, two customs employees (called tidesmen) boarded Hancock's brig Lydia in Boston Harbor . Hancock was summoned, and finding that the agents lacked a writ of assistance (a general search warrant), he did not allow them to go below deck. When one of them later managed to get into the hold, Hancock's men forced the tidesman back on deck. Customs officials wanted to file charges, but

8320-411: The debacle but emerged from his brief military career with his popularity intact. After much delay, the Massachusetts Constitution finally went into effect in October 1780. To no one's surprise, Hancock was elected Governor of Massachusetts in a landslide, garnering over 90% of the vote. In the absence of formal party politics, the contest was one of personality, popularity, and patriotism. Hancock

8450-417: The defense of Hopkins. Nevertheless, on August 12, 1776, Congress censured Hopkins. Humiliation and an injured reputation followed. Many sources say it would have been better if Hopkins was relieved of his command after the censure, rather than resume his command with a disgraced reputation and a loss of respect from his officers. Yet shortly after this John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, wrote

8580-406: The dominant influence on John's life. After graduating from the Boston Latin School in 1750, Hancock enrolled in Harvard College and received a bachelor's degree in 1754. Upon graduation, he began to work for his uncle, just as the French and Indian War had begun. Thomas Hancock had close relations with the royal governors of Massachusetts and secured profitable government contracts during

8710-435: The earliest information to Congress or any other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or other misdemeanours committed by any persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge." In spite of his Congressional dismissal, Hopkins was highly respected in Rhode Island and continued to serve the Rhode Island General Assembly through 1786, then retired to his farm where he died February 26, 1802. His home,

8840-402: The editors of John Adams's legal papers, who argue that "Hancock's innocence is open to question" and that the British officials acted legally, if unwisely. Lawyer and historian Bernard Knollenberg concludes that the customs officials had the right to seize Hancock's ship, but towing it out to the Romney had been illegal. Legal historian John Phillip Reid argues that the testimony of both sides

8970-573: The election to stand. Hancock declined the office, however, not wanting to appear to have been co-opted by the governor. Nevertheless, Hancock used the improved relationship to resolve an ongoing dispute. To avoid hostile crowds in Boston, Hutchinson had been convening the legislature outside of town; now he agreed to allow the General Court to sit in Boston once again, to the relief of the legislators. Hutchinson had dared to hope that he could win over Hancock and discredit Adams. To some, it seemed that Adams and Hancock were indeed at odds: when Adams formed

9100-405: The evening of May 9, 1768, Hancock's sloop Liberty arrived in Boston Harbor, carrying a shipment of Madeira wine . When custom officers inspected the ship the next morning, they found that it contained 25 pipes of wine, just one fourth of the ship's carrying capacity. Hancock paid the duties on the 25 pipes of wine, but officials suspected that he had arranged to have more wine unloaded during

9230-440: The filtration system was the only plant of its type in New England. As demand continued to grow, the treatment plant underwent major expansions and renovations in the 1940s and again in the 1960s. Today, the plant has a maximum treatment capacity of 144 million US gallons (550,000 m ) of water per day and still remains the largest treatment facility in New England. Scituate is the most Republican town in Rhode Island. In

9360-496: The first U.S. amphibious landing. Marines and sailors landed in "a bold stroke, worthy of an older and better trained service," capturing munitions desperately needed in the War of Independence. The little fleet returned to New London on April 8, 1776, having also made prizes of two British merchantmen and a six-gun schooner , while failing to capture but severely damaging HMS  Glasgow on April 6. John Hancock , President of

9490-423: The first always used to gain popularity, and the second to prevent his losing it". The turmoil that Hancock avoided ultimately blossomed as Shays' Rebellion , which Hancock's successor Bowdoin had to deal with. After the uprising, Hancock was re-elected in 1787, and he promptly pardoned all the rebels. The next year, a controversy arose when three free blacks were kidnapped from Boston and sent to work as slaves in

9620-511: The fleet to Providence in the Bahamas . He felt that it would be much more advantageous to seize a prize for the Continental Army than take a chance of destroying the Continental Navy in its infancy. He knew that the British port in Nassau would be poorly guarded and had friends there who would help his cause. The Raid of Nassau , an assault on the British colony there March 3, 1776 was also

9750-580: The impending repeal of the Stamp Act, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in May 1766. Hancock's political success benefited from the support of Samuel Adams, the clerk of the House of Representatives and a leader of Boston's "popular party", also known as "Whigs" and later as "Patriots". The two men made an unlikely pair. Fifteen years older than Hancock, Adams had

9880-494: The interval between voyages, he was engaged in Rhode Island politics, served as a deputy to the Rhode Island General Assembly , and rendered efficient support to his brother Stephen , who became governor in 1755. In September 1764, during his time as a privateer and merchant, Hopkins took command of the slave ship Sally , owned by Nicholas Brown and Company . Hopkins had no prior experience in operating

10010-473: The letter and instead drew up a petition demanding Governor Bernard's recall. When Bernard returned to England in 1769, Bostonians celebrated. The British troops remained, however, and tensions between soldiers and civilians eventually resulted in the killing of five civilians in the Boston Massacre of March 1770. Hancock was not involved in the incident, but afterwards he led a committee to demand

10140-475: The long run. If true, it might well be said that this raid was the first tweaking of this English concern and a tweaking which may have set the tone for those later English decisions. As such, the Raid of Nassau was not just a minor tactical victory but a great strategic victory as well." Hopkins's commission was terminated by the Congress on January 2, 1778, for a variety of reasons, perhaps including for his part in

10270-442: The money and records. Hancock was offended, but he turned over more than £16,000, though not all of the records, to the college. When Harvard replaced Hancock as treasurer, his ego was bruised and for years he declined to settle the account or pay the interest on the money he had held, despite pressure put on him by Bowdoin and other political opponents. The issue dragged on until after Hancock's death, when his estate finally paid

10400-415: The move and might attempt to arrest them. Revere reached Lexington around midnight and gave the warning. Hancock, still considering himself a militia colonel, wanted to take the field with the Patriot militia at Lexington, but Adams and others convinced him to avoid battle, arguing that he was more valuable as a political leader than as a soldier. As Hancock and Adams made their escape, the first shots of

10530-683: The naval force of our enemies that you may find there. If you should be so fortunate as to execute this business successfully in Virginia you are then to proceed immediately to the southward and make yourself master of such forces as the enemy may have both in North and South Carolina...Notwithstanding these particular orders, which it is hoped you will be able to execute, if bad winds, or stormy weather, or any other unforeseen accident or disaster disenable you so to do, you are then to follow such courses as your best Judgment shall suggest to you as most useful to

10660-555: The night of April 18, Gage sent out a detachment of soldiers on the fateful mission that sparked the American Revolutionary War . The purpose of the British expedition was to seize and destroy military supplies that the colonists had stored in Concord. According to many historical accounts, Gage also instructed his men to arrest Hancock and Adams; if so, the written orders issued by Gage made no mention of arresting

10790-481: The night to avoid paying the duties for the entire cargo. They did not have any evidence to prove this, however, since the two tidesmen who had stayed on the ship overnight gave a sworn statement that nothing had been unloaded. One month later, while the British warship HMS Romney was in port, one of the tidesmen changed his story: he claimed that he had been forcibly held on the Liberty while it had been illegally unloaded. On June 10, customs officials seized

10920-410: The office; he instead made his wishes known indirectly. Like everyone else, Hancock knew that Washington was going to be elected as the first president, but Hancock may have been interested in being vice president, despite his poor health. Hancock received only four electoral votes in the election, however, none of them from his home state; the Massachusetts electors all voted for John Adams, who received

11050-486: The other Massachusetts delegates joined the representatives from seven other states in signing the Articles of Confederation ; the remaining states were not yet prepared to sign, and the Articles were not ratified until 1781. Hancock returned to Boston in July 1778, motivated by the opportunity to finally lead men in combat. Back in 1776, he had been appointed as the senior major general of the Massachusetts militia. Now that

11180-440: The other Massachusetts delegates voted against the resolution, as did a few delegates from other states. Back in Boston, Hancock was re-elected to the House of Representatives. As in previous years, his philanthropy made him popular. Although his finances had suffered greatly because of the war, he gave to the poor, helped support widows and orphans, and loaned money to friends. According to biographer William Fowler, "John Hancock

11310-402: The other Massachusetts delegates. On May 24, 1775, he was unanimously elected President of the Continental Congress , succeeding Peyton Randolph after Henry Middleton declined the nomination. Hancock was a good choice for president for several reasons. He was experienced, having often presided over legislative bodies and town meetings in Massachusetts. His wealth and social standing inspired

11440-474: The picturesque New England village. Visitors number in the 200,000 to 350,000 range per festival. The Old Congregational Church grounds are used for part of the festival. John Hancock John Hancock (January 23, 1737 [ O.S. January 12, 1736] – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father , merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution . He

11570-408: The population. There were 3,780 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and

11700-424: The printing process. Dunlap produced the first published version of the Declaration, the widely distributed Dunlap broadside . Hancock, as President of Congress, was the only delegate whose name appeared on the broadside, although the name of Charles Thomson , secretary of the Continental Congress but not a delegate, was also on it as "Attested by" implying that Hancock had signed the fair copy. This meant that until

11830-412: The proceedings against Hancock were dropped without explanation. Although the charges against Hancock were dropped, many writers later described him as a smuggler. The accuracy of this characterization has been questioned. "Hancock's guilt or innocence and the exact charges against him", wrote historian John W. Tyler in 1986, "are still fiercely debated." Historian Oliver Dickerson argues that Hancock

11960-473: The ratification of the Articles of Confederation in 1781. Congress had declined in importance after the Revolutionary War and was frequently ignored by the states. Hancock was elected to serve as its president on November 23, 1785, but he never attended because of his poor health and because he was disinterested. He sent Congress a letter of resignation in June 1786. In an effort to remedy the perceived defects of

12090-468: The removal of the troops. Meeting with Bernard's successor, Governor Thomas Hutchinson , and the British officer in command, Colonel William Dalrymple , Hancock claimed that there were 10,000 armed colonists ready to march into Boston if the troops did not leave. Hutchinson knew that Hancock was bluffing, but the soldiers were in a precarious position when garrisoned within the town, and so Dalrymple agreed to remove both regiments to Castle William. Hancock

12220-435: The reservoir system covers an area of about 94 sq mi (240 km ), which includes most of the town of Scituate and parts of Foster, Glocester, Johnston, and Cranston. The Scituate Reservoir is operated by Providence Water Supply Board. The original treatment plant was state-of-the-art at the time of its construction. The plant was considered to be among the most technologically advanced of its day, and for many years

12350-406: The second-highest number of electoral votes and thus became vice president. Although Hancock was disappointed with his performance in the election, he continued to be popular in Massachusetts. His health failing, Hancock spent his final few years as essentially a figurehead governor. With his wife at his side, he died in bed on October 8, 1793, at age 56. By order of acting governor Samuel Adams,

12480-431: The slave ship Sally. Hopkins adopted, and helped to popularize, the " Gadsden flag " that depicts a Timber rattlesnake with 13 rattles representing the 13 Colonies with the phrase "Don't Tread on Me" on a Yellow background. He adopted the banner as his personal flag and flew it from the mainmast of his flagship USS Alfred while he was aboard. Hopkins married Desire Burroughs (1724–1794) in November 1741. She belonged to

12610-410: The state of Rhode Island. It has an aggregate capacity of 39 billion US gallons (150 × 10 ^  m ) and a surface area of 5.3 square miles (14 square kilometers). It and its six tributary reservoirs—which make up a total surface area of 7.2 sq mi (19 km )—supply drinking water to more than 60 percent of the state population. The surrounding drainage basin that provides water to

12740-423: The story is apocryphal and originated years later. Contrary to popular mythology, there was no ceremonial signing of the Declaration on July 4, 1776. After Congress approved the wording of the text on July 4, the fair copy was sent to be printed. As president, Hancock may have signed the document that was sent to the printer John Dunlap , but this is uncertain because that document is lost, perhaps destroyed in

12870-417: The support of Hancock and Adams, the Massachusetts convention narrowly ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168. Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification. Hancock was put forth as a candidate in the 1789 U.S. presidential election . As was the custom in an era where political ambition was viewed with suspicion, Hancock did not campaign or even publicly express interest in

13000-567: The town's name was " Satuit ", a native Indian word meaning "cold brook" or "cold river." The town was a part of Providence until 1731. Scituate's first town meeting was held at the Angell Tavern in South Scituate, with Stephen Hopkins elected as the first moderator and Joseph Brown as clerk. Stephen Hopkins later became a governor of Rhode Island and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His brother, Esek Hopkins ,

13130-483: The town. During construction of the reservoir, numerous villages were flooded along the former banks of the Pawtuxet River. Some foundations of the old structures are still visible today during times of drought. The reservoir, and a large portion of land surrounding, it is owned and maintained by the Providence Water Supply Board. The main Scituate reservoir was formed by the construction of

13260-425: The town. The population density was 212.1 inhabitants per square mile (81.9/km ). There were 3,904 housing units at an average density of 80.2 per square mile (31.0/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.13% White , 0.29% African American , 0.07% Native American , 0.58% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.32% from other races , and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of

13390-416: The utmost diligence to proceed with the said fleet to sea and if the winds and weather will possibly admit of it to proceed directly for Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and when nearly arrived there you will send forward a small swift sailing vessel to gain intelligence....If...you find that they are not greatly superior to your own you are immediately to enter the said bay, search out and attack, take or destroy all

13520-405: The war front. John Paul Jones was a lieutenant at this time under Hopkins. Hopkins' decision to go to Nassau rather than pursue another part of his orders concerning Chesapeake Bay of Virginia and North and South Carolina, upset southern members of the Continental Congress, which added to the political, social, economic, religious, and philosophical differences already occurring between members of

13650-443: The war were fired at Lexington and Concord . Soon after the battle, Gage issued a proclamation granting a general pardon to all who would "lay down their arms, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects"—with the exceptions of Hancock and Samuel Adams. Singling out Hancock and Adams in this manner only added to their renown among Patriots. With the war underway, Hancock made his way to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia with

13780-481: The war. John Hancock learned much about his uncle's business during these years and was trained for eventual partnership in the firm. Hancock worked hard, but he also enjoyed playing the role of a wealthy aristocrat and developed a fondness for expensive clothes. From 1760 to 1761, Hancock lived in England while building relationships with customers and suppliers. Upon returning to Boston, Hancock gradually took over

13910-621: The wealthiest men in the colonies. The household slaves continued to work for John and his aunt, but were eventually freed through the terms of Thomas Hancock's will; there is no evidence that John Hancock ever bought or sold slaves. After its victory in the Seven Years' War , the British Empire was deeply in debt. Looking for new sources of revenue, the British Parliament sought, for the first time, to directly tax

14040-469: Was $ 60,788, and the median income for a family was $ 67,593. Males had a median income of $ 42,392 versus $ 30,703 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 28,092. About 2.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. In 1839, the Smithville Seminary , a Freewill Baptist institution

14170-682: Was Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy beginning in 1776. In 1788 Scituate representative, militia general and Supreme Court Justice William West led an armed anti-federalist mob of farmers into Providence to protest the U.S. Constitution. In 1791 the U.S. Supreme Court decided its first case, West v. Barnes , regarding a farm in Scituate. Scituate was once made up of a multitude of small villages, including North Scituate , Hope , Ashland, Clayville , Elmdale, Fiskeville , Glenn Rock, Harrisdale, Jackson, Kent, Ponaganset, Potterville, Richmond, Rockland, Saundersville, and South Scituate. Foster

14300-629: Was a generous man and the people loved him for it. He was their idol." In December 1777, he was re-elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as moderator of the Boston town meeting. Hancock rejoined the Continental Congress in Pennsylvania in June 1778, but his brief time there was unhappy. In his absence, Congress had elected Henry Laurens as its new president, which was a disappointment to Hancock, who had hoped to reclaim his chair. Hancock got along poorly with Samuel Adams and missed his wife and newborn son. On July 9, 1778, Hancock and

14430-515: Was a location of importance to the British both due to trade concerns and due to its pivotal role in naval conflicts with the English nemesis France. Paranoia over losing the West Indies would frequently deflect English interests and military assets away from the war in America. English preoccupation with this area would nearly cause her to abandon the war in 1778 and may well have cost her the war in

14560-554: Was allegedly burned several times by the local Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s and 1930s and closed in 1938, although the summer camp operated until 1974. The Greek Revival buildings and campus are now the Scituate Commons, an apartment complex on Institute Lane. High school students in Scituate go to Scituate High School . The Scituate Art Festival, held every Columbus Day weekend since 1967, features over 300 artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their artwork in

14690-497: Was an exaggeration and that the relationship between the two was symbiotic, with Adams as the mentor and Hancock the protégé. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, Parliament took a different approach to raising revenue, passing the 1767 Townshend Acts , which established new duties on various imports and strengthened the customs agency by creating the American Customs Board. The British government believed that

14820-534: Was appointed a brigadier general to command all military forces of Rhode Island on October 4, 1775. He immediately began to strengthen Rhode Island 's defenses with the help of his deputy, William West . A few months later, December 22, 1775, Hopkins was appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy authorized by the Continental Congress to protect American commerce. On January 5, 1776, Congress gave Hopkins his orders: "You are instructed with

14950-599: Was celebrated as a hero for his role in getting the troops withdrawn. His re-election to the Massachusetts House in May was nearly unanimous. After Parliament partially repealed the Townshend duties in 1770, Boston's boycott of British goods ended. Politics became quieter in Massachusetts, although tensions remained. Hancock tried to improve his relationship with Governor Hutchinson, who in turn sought to woo Hancock away from Adams's influence. In April 1772, Hutchinson approved Hancock's election as colonel of

15080-477: Was elected as one of Boston's five selectmen , an office previously held by his uncle for many years. Soon after, Parliament passed the 1765 Stamp Act , a tax on legal documents such as wills that had been levied in Britain for many years but which was wildly unpopular in the colonies, producing riots and organized resistance. Hancock initially took a moderate position: as a loyal British subject , he thought that

15210-560: Was even possible to obtain insurance against being caught. Colonial merchants developed an impressive repertoire of evasive maneuvers to conceal the origin, nationality, routes, and content of their illicit cargoes. This included the frequent use of fraudulent paperwork to make the cargo appear legal and authorized. And much to the frustration of the British authorities, when seizures did happen local merchants were often able to use sympathetic provincial courts to reclaim confiscated goods and have their cases dismissed. For instance, Edward Randolph,

15340-463: Was founded in North Scituate and existed on and off as an educational institution until it finally closed in 1876. The Pentecostal Collegiate Institute then moved to the former campus from Saratoga Springs, New York in 1902. When PCI became Eastern Nazarene College and left in 1919, William Holland purchased the property and moved his Watchman Industrial School and Camp there in 1923. It

15470-621: Was immensely popular and unquestionably patriotic given his personal sacrifices and his leadership of the Second Continental Congress. Bowdoin, his principal opponent, was cast by Hancock's supporters as unpatriotic, citing among other things his refusal (which was due to poor health) to serve in the First Continental Congress. Bowdoin's supporters, who were principally well-off commercial interests from Massachusetts coastal communities, cast Hancock as

15600-566: Was incorporated as a separate town in 1781, taking the western half of Scituate. In 1915, the Rhode Island General Assembly voted to take 14,800 acres (60 km ) of land in Scituate (38% of the town) to create a reservoir to supply fresh water to greater Providence. This project resulted in the condemnation of "1,195 buildings, including 375 houses, seven schools, six churches, six mills, thirty dairy farms, eleven ice houses, post offices, and an electric railway system,

15730-470: Was married on August 28 in Fairfield, Connecticut. They had two children, neither of whom survived to adulthood. Their daughter Lydia Henchman Hancock was born in 1776 and died ten months later. Their son John was born in 1778 and died in 1787 after suffering a head injury while ice skating. While president of Congress, Hancock became involved in a long-running controversy with Harvard. As treasurer of

15860-453: Was one of them. Biographer William Fowler concludes that while Hancock was probably engaged in some smuggling, most of his business was legitimate, and his later reputation as the "king of the colonial smugglers" is a myth without foundation. The Liberty affair reinforced a previously made British decision to suppress unrest in Boston with a show of military might. The decision had been prompted by Samuel Adams's 1768 Circular Letter , which

15990-490: Was politically used against him. Substantiating this, John Paul Jones, who had been a lieutenant directly under Hopkins, gained great respect while continuing this same type of naval warfare against the much larger Royal Navy. "Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, the Raid on Nassau brought the war to the English in an area where they felt more strategically threatened than the American Colonies. The West Indies

16120-525: Was published and widely reprinted, enhancing Hancock's stature as a leading Patriot. Parliament responded to the Tea Party with the Boston Port Act , one of the so-called Coercive Acts intended to strengthen British control of the colonies. Hutchinson was replaced as governor by General Thomas Gage , who arrived in May 1774. On June 17, the Massachusetts House elected five delegates to send to

16250-602: Was sent to other British American colonies in hopes of coordinating resistance to the Townshend Acts. Lord Hillsborough , secretary of state for the colonies, sent four regiments of the British Army to Boston to support embattled royal officials and instructed Governor Bernard to order the Massachusetts legislature to revoke the Circular Letter. Hancock and the Massachusetts House voted against rescinding

16380-527: Was so politically partial that it is not possible to objectively reconstruct the incident. Aside from the Liberty affair, the degree to which Hancock was engaged in smuggling, which may have been widespread in the colonies, has been questioned. Given the clandestine nature of smuggling, records are scarce. If Hancock was a smuggler, no documentation of this has been found. John W. Tyler identified 23 smugglers in his study of more than 400 merchants in revolutionary Boston but found no written evidence that Hancock

16510-637: Was the custom, any penalties assessed by the court would be awarded to the governor, the informer, and the Crown, each getting a third. The first suit, filed on June 22, 1768, resulted in the confiscation of the Liberty in August. Customs officials then used the ship to enforce trade regulations until it was burned by angry colonists in Rhode Island the following year. The second trial began in October 1768, when charges were filed against Hancock and five others for allegedly unloading 100 pipes of wine from

16640-666: Was the longest-serving president of the Continental Congress , having served as the second president of the Second Continental Congress and the seventh president of the Congress of the Confederation . He was the first and third governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . He is remembered for his large and stylish signature on the United States Declaration of Independence , so much so that in

16770-457: Was the victim of an essentially criminal racketeering scheme perpetrated by Governor Bernard and the customs officials. Dickerson believes that there is no reliable evidence that Hancock was guilty in the Liberty case and that the purpose of the trials was to punish Hancock for political reasons and to plunder his property. Opposed to Dickerson's interpretation were Kinvin Wroth and Hiller Zobel,

16900-606: Was then known as the College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Hopkins was the brother of Rhode Island governor Stephen Hopkins , a signer of the Declaration of Independence and first Brown chancellor in conjunction with the tenure of president James Manning . Hopkins was buried in the North Burial Ground of Providence, Rhode Island. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

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