The Declaration of Independence laid out the political philosophy and ideals of individual liberty that provide the foundation of the United States as an independent nation. It was a milestone in the history of democracy as the first time a nation stated its right to choose its own government. The Declaration set out the principles of self-government, first among them being that all men were created equal and in possession of the same natural rights, and that a legitimate government had to be based on the consent of the governed. Along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Declaration is one of the three foundational documents of the United States government. The first signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, has a special connection to Lexington. After his father’s unexpected death when he was a child, he, along with his mother, sister and brother went to live with his grandparents – the Reverend John Hancock and his wife Elizabeth Clarke – in Lexington. Although he soon moved on, later becoming a wealthy and successful merchant in Boston and an important player in local politics, including serving as the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, his grandparents continued to live in the local parsonage, which is now known as the Hancock-Clarke House.
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