John Hancock’s famous oversized signature appears on the Declaration of Independence commemorated by America250.
Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress when it adopted the Declaration. His signature is placed prominently beneath the text and is much larger than the other names, which helped create the lasting expression “John Hancock” as a synonym for a signature.
Hancock’s role as presiding officer made his name especially visible, but he was not the Declaration’s principal drafter. Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft, and Congress edited and approved the final version. Hancock also was not the only person to sign: the engrossed parchment carries 56 delegates’ names.
The popular story that Hancock chose a large signature so the king could read it is a later legend rather than a documented explanation. His distinctive signature is historically genuine, while the humorous quotation associated with it has uncertain origins.