(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Why is a signature called a John Hancock?

John Hancock, a merchant and politician, was one of the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, and supposedly said, "There, I guess King George will be able to read that."

Orphaned at a young age, he inherited wealth from his uncle and leveraged it to become a leading voice in revolutionary politics.

His wealth and standing made him an ideal British loyalist, but he preferred the Patriots actively engaging in anti-British activism.

So the myth goes, the reason his name appears large above the other signatures is because he was the president of the Continental Congress and wanted to ensure it was legible without spectacles.

The truth is, we're still not really sure why he did it, but we do know one thing, if the Americans had lost, his signature was proof of treason, but history was on Hancock's side.

(upbeat music)