Plausibly Live! - The Official Podcast Of The Dave Bowman Show

On August 2, 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress gathered to finish what they had begun back in July. Now, each of the men was called forward, one at a time, to affix his name to the final version of the document which had already electrified the world. On what should have been a joyous day, the full weight of what was happening was hitting home. Benjamin Harrison of Virginia, joked with Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts that when the King hung them, Harrison would die quickly because of his weight, while Gerry would dangle and dance “for hours” because he was so small. For a moment, the joke broke the unexpected gloom of the morning. There was one man who did not sign that day. He had already signed back on July 4th. As the President of the 2nd Continental Congress, John Hancock had the honor of speaking on behalf of the new nation and had put his flourished signature on the document before any one else. When the members of Congress had seen his giant “John Hancock,” the comment had been mad