John Hancock wrote the most prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence, the document at the center of America250.
Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress when the Declaration was adopted. His large, flowing signature became so recognizable that “John Hancock” later became an informal American expression for a person’s signature.
Hancock’s signature appears first and is much larger than the others on the engrossed parchment. The document’s text, however, was primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson as part of a five-member committee, so authorship and signing are separate questions.
Benjamin Franklin and John Adams also signed the Declaration, while George Washington did not. Washington was serving as commander in chief of the Continental Army, not as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.