The "ringing of bells" and the "firing of cannon" ushered in the day of the first gubernatorial election in Massachusetts on October 25, 1780. The new state constitution, ratified in June of that year, had just gone into effect, and the citizens and politicians of Massachusetts were anxious to choose the first leader of the Commonwealth. The vote count, completed on the 25th, showed that the contest between the leading candidates was not even close. "An account of the proceedings at Boston yesterday is not yet come to hand. Mr. Hancock is chosen Governor by a very large majority of votes," announced The Massachusetts Spy, a Worcester newspaper, on October 26.

"Mr. Hancock," was, of course, John Hancock, the well-known Boston merchant and former president of the Continental Congress. With over 90 percent of the votes in his tally, Hancock soundly trumped the second candidate, James Bowdoin. Once the election results became certain on October 25, Hancock addressed a crowd of Bostonians from the balcony of the Old State House, the same place from which the Declaration of Independence had first been read in Boston, a little over four years before. "The Joy diffused thro' the Countenances of the Citizens upon this Occasion afforded a most agreeable Indication of their entire Satisfaction in the Choice," reported the Boston Gazette on October 30.

After Bostonians had celebrated even more with cannons and bells, the governor and others attended a church service and then proceeded to Faneuil Hall, where "an elegant Entertainment was provided, and a large Number of respectable Gentlemen of all Orders assembled." The first of the 13 toasts drunk that night honored "The Independence of the United States of America."

Hancock served as governor from 1780 to 1785 and again from 1787 to 1793. Although he had many political enemies, Hancock remained popular with the people and easily won reelection each time he ran.

John Hancock

John Hancock, merchant, politician, and owner of the most famous signature in American history, was born in Braintree, Mass., to John and Mary Hancock on January 12, 1737. At a young age he went to live with his uncle Thomas Hancock, one of Boston's wealthiest merchants. This experience, combined with a Harvard degree, helped young John to inherit his uncle's role as one of the most successful businessmen in Boston, a position he used to aid his burgeoning political career.

As a major merchant in colonial Boston, Hancock's business interests suffered under the new taxes imposed by the British Parliament in the mid 18th century. Hancock became more and more active in Massachusetts and national politics throughout the 1770s, and in 1775 he went to Philadelphia as a member of the Second Continental Congress. It was this body that eventually produced the Declaration of Independence, a document that Hancock, as presiding officer, so famously signed.

During the Revolutionary War, Hancock left the Congress and was elected the first governor of Massachusetts in 1780. Both a generous and a shrewd politician, he became even more popular than before the war. He would serve on and off as governor until his death in 1793.

Hancock's finest moment may have come in 1788 when he offered qualified support for the ratification of the United States Constitution by Massachusetts. Although five states had already ratified the Constitution, the remaining states looked to Massachusetts, where the vote was expected to be close. Although Hancock felt some concern about the sweeping powers the federal government would hold, his support insured that Massachusetts would vote to ratify, and that, in turn, sent a signal to the states that remained undecided.

Although John Hancock is rarely mentioned alongside fellow Massachusetts patriots John Adams and Samuel Adams, he made important contributions to the state and the young nation. A moderate leader, he often helped conflicting parties reach a compromise. Perhaps of even greater significance, he remained a generous benefactor to Massachusetts and its citizens throughout his adult life.