The City of Presidents is more than the birthplace of father and son John and John Quincy Adams. Braintree native John Hancock served in the vital role as President of the Second Continental Congress, which led to his famous penmanship on the Declaration of Independence. But would it surprise you to know that despite John Hancock’s audacious signature, his politics were much less bold? Other questions about Hancock and the Declaration remain: Did Hancock actually say that he wrote his name oversized so King George III could see it without his spectacles? Why did Hancock sign the document if he had been reluctant about independence and did he really have the largest and most distinguished signature? Who had the smallest and sloppiest? Celebrate Quincy 400 in this interactive and dynamic forty-minute event with Brooke Barbier, author of King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father. She'll answer these questions while taking you behind the scenes of the Declaration’s signing and the notable political life of John Hancock.

About Brooke:

Brooke Barbier is a public historian who received her PhD in American history from Boston College, researching Boston’s social and cultural life during and after the American Revolution. While earning her graduate degree, she taught history at Boston College and Stonehill College.

Brooke founded Ye Olde Tavern Tours in 2013, which offers tours of Boston’s historic sites and taverns (beer is included!). In addition to King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father , she is also the author of Boston in the American Revolution: A Town Versus an Empire and has been interviewed by the New York Times, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Boston.com. She is originally from San Diego, CA and has lived in Boston for many years.

This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library. Click here to find out more about their work and how you can get involved.