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Essay on John Hancock

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In all of American history, there are many men who stand out and emphasize the history ofour country. This man, John Hancock, is one of those extraordinary men that stand out.John’s life began on January 16, 1736 in Braintree, Massachuchetts.John was the middle child of three. He was the son of (Rev.) John Hancock, born on June 1, 1702 in Lexington, Massachuchetts and son of Mary Hawke, born on October 13, 1711 in Hingham, Massachuchetts. Mary was once married before she married John Hancock Sr. Her previous marriage ended in her former husband’s death.(Rev.) John Hancock was well-liked by his parish, was paid well, and was provided a very comfortable home. In return of their generosity, he was a “faithful shepard.” …show more content…

His age though caused a slight problem. He was almost nine years of age and all the first graders were almost seven. The master of the school, John Lovell, found a nice solution. Since John was excellently trained in Lexington, Lowell moved him up to third grade. John was neither Lowell’s favorite nor his worst student. By his fifth year, he was ready to begin “making Latin”. He translated from Caesar’s Commentaries, Cicero’s Orations , and the Aeneid. The major purpose of the school was to prepare a student in the liberal arts so he can follow the same path at college. The foundation of the school was classical languages, but with his mastery of the ancients, he also acquired knowledge of history, philosophy , and theology. By the time spring came around in 1750, John was finishing his time at Latin. He had completed the school’s curriculum and was preparing for college. Of course the choice was Harvard. He was armed with a conspicuous heredity, money, and recommendations from Master Lowell. John didn’t have any trouble getting into Harvard. In the fall of 1750, John, Latin alumnus entered Harvard College. At the age of thirteen and a half, he was the second youngest boy in his class, and he was ranked fifth out of the twenty in his class. College work for Hancock was practically a continuation of his work at Latin. The emphasis in college was still languages

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