Rafe Spall portrays John Hancock, the wealthiest man in Boston at the time. When the British seize his ships and home affecting his bottom line, Hancock partners with the Sons forever changing the world. Hancock was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence and remembered for his large and stylish signature drawn so that King George III would be able to read the Hancock name. That's why the term "John Hancock" has become a synonym for a signature in the U.S.