“The Just and Good Governor of the World:” John Hancock’s Congregationalist Roots and Religious Commitment

Join us for a talk by Dr. Jeffrey M. Griffith, editor of the upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock, a publication of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, as well as the curator of thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock on the publication’s companion website, JohnHancockPapers.com.

In this talk, Dr. Griffith will focus on John Hancock’s Congregational roots and how he invoked religious traditions throughout his life. The Governor’s grandfather, father, and uncle were all Congregational ministers and – until tragedy befell the family – the third generation John Hancock would likely also have been a town minister.

After John’s uncle and aunt adopted him, the burgeoning social leader built upon their life-long commitment to various meetinghouses. Whereas his guardians fulfilled specific needs for individual congregations, John envisioned his contributions on a scale that impacted entire communities. By providing land, bells, and building materials, meetinghouses across New England emerged and stood as a testament of Hancock’s devotion to religion.

As Hancock emerged as a political leader on the local and continental stage, he promoted and participated in religious traditions ranging from Election Day Sermons, to Days of Fasting, and Days of Thanksgiving. Each of these events anchor current events that sought to tout God’s role in both his personal life and the community’s circumstances and efforts.

Email any questions to programs@14beacon.org.

SPEAKER BIO

Dr. Jeffrey Griffith wrote his dissertation on Massachusetts Election Sermons from 1763-1793, which studied how ministers used the annual tradition to interpret the events that pushed Massachusetts from a loyal colony to a free-and-independent Commonwealth. Named the editor of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts’s upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock publications, which will curate thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock across four decades, and which are currently spread across over dozens of repositories and collections.