Several ships of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

have been named USS ''Hancock'' or USS ''John Hancock'', in honor of patriot,

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

, and statesman

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor o ...

. * was the former

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

''Speedwell'', one of a small flotilla hired in October 1775. She was declared unfit for service late in 1776, and returned to her owner early the following year. * was a

sailing frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

commissioned in 1776 and captured by the British in 1777. Renamed HMS ''Iris'', in 1781 she was captured by a French squadron. The

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

sold her in 1784. *USS ''Hancock'' (1778), was a frigate launched 28 April 1778, and renamed by the Continental Congress to honor the entry of France into the war. *, originally SS ''Arizona'', was purchased by the United States Department of War, then transferred to the Navy in 1902, and used as a transport until 1925. *, was an aircraft carrier originally named ''Ticonderoga'', and renamed while under construction in 1943. ''Hancock'' was launched in 1944 and sold for scrap in 1976.

See also