John Hancock’s large signature became the most famous on the Declaration of Independence linked to America250.
Hancock was president of the Continental Congress when it adopted the Declaration in 1776. His prominent signature appears at the center beneath the text, and its size made his name widely recognizable even to people who knew little about the other delegates.
The phrase “put your John Hancock” later became an informal American expression meaning to sign one’s name. A popular story claims Hancock signed boldly so King George III could read it without spectacles, but historians regard that anecdote as apocryphal.
The familiar engrossed parchment copy was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, rather than in a grand ceremony on July 4. Hancock’s name also appeared on the Dunlap broadside, the first widely distributed printed version, because he was president of Congress.