Letter - Hancock to Washington re Declaration

John Hancock was President of the Continental Congress when the Declaration of Independence was approved. Although most of the congressional delegates still had to sign the document, Hancock's signature was already on it.

Needing to advise General Washington about these new events, Hancock wrote a letter to the commander-in-chief. With calm and deliberate words, he said that the Declaration had been adopted and requested that "you will have it [the Declaration] proclaimed at the Head of the Army."

Hancock enclosed a copy of John Dunlap's printed broadside of the document.