That is made possible in part from a generous gift from massachusetts of the cincinnati features. Dr. Brooke barbier discussing her new book, king hancock the radical influence of a moderate founding father, recently published by the university of harvard press. Brooke barbier is a public historian who holds a ph. D. American history from boston college. In addition to king hancock, she is the author of boston and the American Revolution a town versus an empire, published by the unit excuse me, the History Press in 2017, which focuses on prerevolutionary boston and its during the American Revolution. In addition to her scholarship, she is also the founder of yield tavern tours, a popular guided outing along bostons renowned freedom, and that was founded in 2013. But before i hand over to dr. Barber, however, the usual housekeeping items are in order for our friends tuning in with us on zoom this evening following tonights authors talk there will be a question and answer session. So please feel free to submit your questions at any point. The presentation by using the q a that can be found at the bottom of your screen. And we will do our best to incorporate them with our live audience. Questions should you have any related questions or comments those can be submitted by using the chat function and one of our Staff Members will do best to assist you as they will be monitoring throughout the talk. So all of that and without further delay, please join me in welcoming to Anderson House dr. Brooke barbier. Thanks, andrew. Thank you guys for coming tonight. So excited to speak with you. Were going to talk about how john hancock a revolution john hancock is, famous for his audacious signature on the declaration of independence. Here it is. But would it surprise to know that his politics were much less bold . Im going to talk tonight about how a man with middle of the road and often shifting political views came to be one of our countrys founders. Hancock was a moderate in a time and place of radical his adopted hometown, boston, was the epicenter of ma being towering, feathering and violent protest in the 1760s and seventies. Yet hancock was able to avoid such extremes remaining popular with the masses and effecting political in spite of being slow to adopt many resistance efforts. Well discuss how hancocks affected two parts of the American Revolution. First, the resistance rebellion of the 1760s and seventies and in the new nation. Lets get a brief background on john hancock. When he was seven, his life funded mentally changed his father died and he went to live with his wealthy paternal uncle uncle, thomas, who lived in thomas was a selfmade man who, in his lifetime amassed one of the largest fortunes in massachusetts by opening a Merchant House called the house of hancock. John hancock life fundamentally changes again when uncle thomas and john uncle thomas dies and. John goes on to inherit all his uncles mercantile Business Holdings overnight, then he becomes one of the most prominent men in boston. His uncles death coincide with a big change for the colonies uncle. Thomas died in 1764, just the year earlier, the french and indian war had ended, and this is when 1764 is when Parliament Passing taxes. And we begin to get that a feeling of no taxation representation among colonies. In 1765 of parliament, britains governing body passes the stamp act, a tax on printed goods boston despises the stamp act, and they target two royal officials to express their displeasure. Andrew oliver and thomas hutchinson, both crown officials had their property destroyed stamp act riots in 1765. In boston, Andrew Oliver was, the stamp act collector of massachusetts. So the riot him made sense to hancock. It followed 18th century practices of mobbing. Youre upset about the stamp act so you target the stamp act collector this made the mob against however when his home was utterly ransacked, hancock opposed this attack seemed and not political hancock wants get the men who participated these riots together and to convince them to act respectably. He was worried particularly there would be more violence on the day that the stamp act was to go into effect. So hes worried that hes a wealthy man as Andrew Oliver and thomas hutchinson, were. So if mob decided to turn against another wealthy man, it could be hancock next. He decides to bring men together and try to convince them to act respectively. He and another merchant host a party at a local tavern that was familiar to hancock, popular with artisans. Colonial taverns were places where men debated politics, gathered for camaraderie and built connection. There was no shortage of watering holes in the hard drinking colonial town boston. There still no shortage of watering holes in the hard drinking town of current day boston elites usually find themselves in the same as men from the lower. But that wasnt a trump problem for hancock. He loved entertain and host and he chose to entertain at a tavern familiar to him and popular with artisans at the green dragon tavern. Been around for a century and, was a large brick building. The upstairs beginning the 1760s was home to a masonic that john hancock belonged as well as silversmith paul revere and dr. Joseph warren. The name of the tavern derives from this guy. Here you can kind of see the dragon poking out. Ive got a close up here. It was made of copper. It in the saltaire turned green and it became the green dragon tavern that night at the green dragon. Hancock was a generous as he would be throughout his life. He paid a large sum money for food and drinks and at one point gave a speech convincing everyone there to try and demonstrate peacefully going forward. Hancocks plan worked on the day the stamp act was to go into effect, there was a much more set festive atmosphere in boston. Ultimately the stamp act was repealed shortly after and so hancock doesnt even need to worry further about that stamp act. He goes back to resuming business with the British Empire. One errant tax like stamp act didnt cause him to want to stop doing business the way he and his family had for decades. Riots factor again factored in again excuse three years later when another is passed and he resists hancock resists paying all of his the tax was on imported British Goods and. It was called the townshend duties duties. Hancock doesnt to pay taxes on one of his favorite drinks madeira. Madeira is, a fortified wine from an island of the same name. Its off the coast of africa, was under portuguese control and it was a favorite of hancock. He was exacting when ordering it listen to what he said. I dont stand at any price let it be good. I like a rich wine. This is a accustomed to getting what he wants. This love of madeira leads to one of one of the most memorable mobs of the American Revolution. So the stanton act is repealed in 1766, but the townshend duties are passed a year later. If the tax was bad, this new customs board established in boston, was worse parliament did learn about the stamp act in they knew they needed to reinforce of taxes in boston so they up new a new customs board there. The customs were loathsome. They earnestly patrolled the harbor eager to stop and search any vessel they thought might be smuggling. They also had hate hated boston onions for what they believed to be their attitude towards. They were determined to catch somebody and theres no bigger target or bigger fish to catch than the wealthy and john hancock. So thats who they go after. Now, hancocks lucky with the townshend duties because here his economic interests align with the radical political interests radicals dont want to pay the tax because they dont want another tax. Hancock doesnt want to pay the tax because its going to affect the price of the goods hes importing from england. Hancock, though, has an easy way around the tax and its what and his uncle had been doing for smuggling in the summer of 1768, one of hancock ships called liberty docks at hancocks wharf. Lets look at this map for a second. Its a map of boston in 1769. And while i wouldnt recommend it, you could still this map in Downtown Boston today. There are many of the same landmarks and some of the same street. You see the arrow pointing to hancocks mansion at the hancocks wharf. Me there was also longworth longest war here. Not every merchant was wealthy enough to have their own wharf named for them, but hancock certainly was. And you can tell its of the bigger wharves. So hancocks ship called liberty docks at hancocks wharf in 1768. He declares that there is 25 casks of madeira board and the customs official named thomas kirk accepts. This number hancock pays his taxes on it and they both go their separate ways. Except libertys cargo could hold more than double that. And it was unlikely that hancock would sail across the atlantic with his ship at half capacity. So hes much too experience to do and customs commissioners were suspicious . Yes, they asked thomas kirk about the incident and he that everything had been on level customs were sure hancock was smuggling and they had a stroke of good luck, just a month later. Heres what happens. Thomas kirk comes forward, changes his story. He says that when he had said everything had been the level, he was afraid. Captain John Marshall, captain of liberty, was the one who was intimidating thomas kirk. But John Marshall, captain had recently died. And so kirk said, now im comfortable coming forward to tell the truth on account of what happened. And he quite a tale. He says that liberty docked captain marshall asked kirk to look the other way as illegally unloaded guns. So flat out hes claiming that a captain is asking a customs commissioner to come to permit him to smuggle. This is not believable. But kirk says that when he refused, marshall and five or six men grabbed kirk pulled him below deck, locked him into a cabin and the top down for 3 hours. They could hear the hoist out of goods and the noise. The tackle above, kirk says. Then it went the door opens to the cabin and John Marshall fills the doorway. He says. If he breathes that, if kirk breathes a word about what he saw, heard that night, he and his property would be harmed. This story is work of an imaginative mind, but it does what it needed. It implicates hancock, so customs commissioners. Go down to hancocks wharf. Ive got another view for you. This one comes to us from paul revere, 1768. Its the depiction of british troops arriving to boston. But once you can see hancocks wharf jutting prominently into the harbor. So these customs commissioner is now with kirks revised story and hand decide to head down to the wharf. Little else, a hint of wrongdoing by a customs commissioner would gather crowd in boston at this time, but especially in defense. John hancock, one of the towns most popular men. So a crowd is gathering around and telling those customs commissioners that they shall not seize liberty unless they want to be chucked into the harbor. The customs commissioners are determined that they seize liberty. They brand liberties with the kings mark, and then they haul liberty to romney. A british warship, and secure it to. The ship in Boston Harbor. The townspeople erupt, but they rocks. At the customs commissioners. They hit them with clubs and brickbats. The sun, one of the customs commissioners who hadnt even been involved in the seizure of liberty, was also overrun. The mob dragged him by the through the streets while throwing dirt on him and hitting him with sticks. All of that is a lot. But then they take it one step further. The mob numbers between 500 and a thousand men. And according to the royal governor, they were filled with rum this then drags sailboat built by of these customs commissioners that had seized liberty they haul it out of Boston Harbor through the streets of boston up to Boston Common, the public park where they set boat on fire. This was a stunning display to defend hancock right to smuggle wine the is hancocks not nearly as troubled by the politics of it all. Despite this violent in protest of john hancock by the way if we look if youve been to Boston Boston common is still the public park today and hancock mansion sits at the top sat at the top of Boston Common hancocks top concern is making profits, not opposing taxes. As long as british officials on to liberty, he could not use and he couldnt make any money. So he wanted to cut a deal with the british his politic were not radical enough to stop trading with london forever. He was a businessman and employed of local men and wants to get back to work just like he did after the stamp act. Dr. Joseph warren acts as his go between. Joseph warren was a man of poppy law with rebels in boston, but popular with crown, so hes the perfect between and he brokers deal which is Pretty Simple if hancock gets his ship back so that he can begin trading, hancock will agree to stand trial if they want to charge him with. The deal is in place. Everything is set. Then. Hancock that night starts to get knocks on his door as visitors arrive. Hancocks mansion you saw sat at the top of Boston Common. And heres an image of it soon one observer said hancocks house quote was full radical firebrands samuel adams and james otis went to hancocks mansion and told him could not make this deal. Its a bad deal as sons of liberty filled in and tried to convince hancock of the same thing. Hancock eventually, with mounting pressure, reneges on the deal. Hes going have to protest the way that samuel adams and james otis want for they have more radical ideas, but its safer at this time. Go along with them shortly after liberty riot, british troops are sent to occupy boston. Thats that image we saw from paul revere. The troops arrival in march 1770. They shot into a rowdy and killed five men in what we know today as the boston massacre, the boston massacre does not activate hancock the way you might think he retreats from politics rather than going all in after boston massacre most of the town chin duties are lifted the troops depart town and hancock wants to focus on almost anything than politics. He starts looking for a wife he restarts his business. Hes taking vacations. Hancock stepping away from politic was noticed by others. Youre going to recognize this name . Thomas hutchinson, the same guy had his house destroyed in the stamp act rights of 1765. Hes now royal governor of massachusetts, and he notices that hancock stepped away. He says there was a breach among patriots in massachusetts bay. Hancock had, quote, been firmly attached to mr. Adams and quote, but then in 1771, suddenly, to hutchinsons delight, all friendship between them was suddenly at an end. And mr. Hancock expressed dissatisfaction with the party. Word reached london, too. Thats how important hancock and samuel were at this time. Secretary of state, lord wrote to hutchinson informing him that hancock had, quote, deserted the cause of liberty. Hillsborough urged governor hutchinson to capitalize on this rupture and try to get hancock on his side. Hutchinson had previously tried to sway rebels into the crowns fold. Hed solicited john, who turned him down. He tried with dr. Benjamin and was ultimately successful. Church began by anonymous solely publishing newspaper articles, the sons of liberty, even as he remained a son of liberty church, would eventually him self completely and receive payment for secrets about rebel paying general. Thomas gage of the british army hutchinson struck out with john adams. He struck out with hancock to. Hancock hutchinson said of hancock that he intended to quit all active concern in Public Affairs and to attend to his private business. He even swore hancock did that he will quote never again connect himself with adams. Now, samuel adams doesnt need hancock to stay politically active. He could do that all on his own at this time. In 1772, he sets up a committee of correspondence to communicate with the other colonies outside of massachusetts about crowns infringements violations. The Boston Committee of correspondence included merchants doctors and lawyers. Many of them went to harvard and many of them were masons. Hancock checks these boxes, but he declines to sit the committee. Thomas cushing, hancocks friend, also a merchant and a fellow moderate, also not sit on the committee. Samuel adams, hancock and cushing for not being a part of the committee, not its ideas. The committee itself. Privately, however, John Samuel Adams were concerned both merchants had not signed on. Samuel adams loathed their tepid politics. Get ready for this one, he said. For the sake their own ease or their own safety, they preach the into paltry ideas of moderation. Samuel adams claimed that cushing and hancock did not quote realize the evil tendency of their conduct and quote, by declining to be a part, the committee of correspondence, avoid being ensnared the trap set by samuel adams, that of a false binary hancock either joined the committee of correspondence or his conduct was evil. Rarely is life much less revolution that clean hancock and certainly didnt want their businesses to suffer with new taxes, but they also werent too as agitate as others about crime policies, especially when the troops had been sent out of town and most of the towns and duties had been lifted. People are complex and make political decisions for myriad reasons what may be good for them. One year is not going to be good for them. The next adams would have been surprised a year later when hancock is back in. He supports destruction of the t in 1773. What we today as the Boston Tea Party by the way the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party is coming up this december 16th. Hancock gave a speech moments before. The crowd went down to the harbor to destroy the tea. Hancocks support for the Boston Tea Party is what gives my book, my books title, its name. My book titled king hancock and it. That name first appears in 1774 in the historical record, british troops react boston after the destruction of tea and they were trying to fi