Geography of Environmental Injustice and Health Inequalities

Geography of Environmental Injustice and Health Inequalities Geography of Environmental Injustice and Health Inequalities in the Nigeria Abstract The unfair distribution of toxic wastes and other acute and chronic health hazards on vulnerable populations, which have contributed to negative health inequalities in less developing nations, such as been observed in Nigeria is term as global health inequalities. The link between environmental injustices, risks, and health inequalities has not been well established in Nigeria, in understanding its impact on futures health outcomes. The issue of environmental injustices and health inequalities is treated as a distinct issue from the problems associated with health, well-being and environmental sustainability. This research aims to understand health outcomes and its associated future health burden taken into consideration in the link between pursuing environmental injustice, and health inequalities in the oil producing region of Nigeria. Ultimately, examine the conceptual issues relating to environmental injustices, health inequalities, and non-communicable diseases that challenges the development of better future health outcomes programmes and planning for environmental justices in Nigeria. Introduction Global Environmental Injustices, is the unfair circulation of toxic wastes and other acute and chronic health hazards on vulnerable populations, which have contributed to negative health inequalities in less developing nations, such as been observed in Nigeria (Schroeder et al., 2008: 551; Roberts, 2007: 286; Adeola, 2000: 686, 2001:45) has been observed in Nigeria for over 50 years due to the exploration of crude oil. According to Roberts (1985), the industrialization of any region is greatly influenced by the presence of rich mineral deposits, resulting in the heavy industrialisation of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Niger Delta region is the location for most of the oil exploration activities in Nigeria, resulting in many people and companies attraction to the area. The migration flow and influence of the various companies has adverse impact on health outcomes. In addition, environmental risks such as oil spillage, gas flaring, and other wastes resulting from oil production polluting the environment could affect health and well-being on the residing communities (Nabofa, 2011). Another major cause for concern is the cumulative effect of the crude oil contents on the health and wellbeing of the people over a long period of time (Khursid et al., 2008). Ajayi et al., (2009), revealed in a study carried out on natural radioactivity and trace elements in crude oils implications for health, that Niger Delta oil, although, has low metallic contents; however, the cumulative effects of the radioactivity and metallic properties on health outcomes is alarming. Therefore, communities in the oil producing areas live with a lot of externally generated factors; resulting from additional pressure to highly stressful ways of living, leading to specific risk related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), for instance skin cancer and psychological disorders (Ilo, 1998; Loewenson, 1998; Kathari and Nababasing, 1996; Fuentes et al., 1994). According to Ana et al. (2010), It is apparent that populations living in highly industrialized communities such as Port Harcourt with higher environmental risk factors may be more vulnerable to pollution-related morbidities including a higher predisposition to cancers of the lung, skin. and eye. It is thus, apparent, that the major driver of environmental injustices is the activities of Multinational/Transnational Corporation engaged in the oil business. As the major revenue generation for the country, oil production had been followed by countless environmental problems, associated with other broad inequalities in livelihood, wealth, well-being, poverty; interactions and inequalities in the distribution of burden and responsibilities of the health outcomes. Statement of Problem Literature on environmental justice have emphasised that there is growing concern about the health outcomes associated with intensive oil and gas activities in many communities (Palinkas, et al.,1993) as well as concentration of these occurrences in poor communities (Gill, et al.,2011). The link between environmental injustices, risks, and health inequalities has been established internationally but in Nigeria, this link has not been established in understanding its impact on health outcomes. The issue of environmental injustices and health inequalities is treated as a distinct issue from the problems associated with health, well-being and environmental sustainability. Are the questions of health outcomes and its associated future health burden actually taken into consideration the link between environmental injustice, and health inequalities? Can Nigeria (Government, Multinational companies, and the communities) especially the oil producing region achieve health equity without promoting environmental justice and empowerment of the vulnerable population as a result of the burden of NCDs? These questions will be examined with conceptual issues relating to environmental injustices, health inequalities, and NCDs that challenges the method of developing better future health outcomes programmes and planning for environmental justices in Nigeria. Objective of the Study According to Pearce et al., (2010), One potential driver for the increasing geographical differences in health is the disparity in exposure to key characteristics of the physical environment that are either health promoting or health damaging. Thus, the objectives of the study are: to examine linkages between environmental injustices, health inequalities and health outcome; to study and understand the reasons for the prevalence increase in health inequalities and the consequences on the future especially in the Niger Delta region; to clarify conceptual issues relating to environmental justice and inequalities as it relates to Nigeria and to evaluate what considerable impact establishing the link will have on the goal of environmental justices. Justification of study The politics of oil in the Niger Delta region have promoted the lack of transparency and accountability throughout the region. There are inadequate environmental assessments on the impact of the oil industry on the health of the people. While NCDs rates of causing respiratory ailments, and other illnesses are increasing, the government do not want to fully acknowledge their contribution to these health outcomes. It is imperative to undertake a conceptual clarification of what environmental justice and health inequalities mean in the context of the oil producing communities in Nigeria within the theoretical framework of justice theory, and health inequalities. This will lead to a more imperatively comprehensive spatial distribution studies with a multi-disciplinary approach to identify health consequences within the oilÂÂ   and non-oil producing regions (Ogri, 2001: 20; Dung et al., 2008; Ana et al., 2009) so as to properly assess environmental health disparities through the use of Geospatial techniques. The research will contribute to literatures on the global environmental injustices and health inequalities and the growing need for environmental justices. In addition, understanding these linkages would assist regulators and operators in the oil producing regions to address questions of social and environmental justice; through suitable allocation of scarce resources for rapid response, distribution of cost and benefit and promote community level participation for sustainable development and better health outcome and well beings Time scale Schedule The first year will be devoted to the review of relevant literature, proposal writing, and fulfilling additional training requirements. Included in the first year is the initial generated data period (initial generated data period for the literature review and data collection). The second year will be for the actual fieldwork and the analysis of the data; the first six months will be used for data collection and the next six months for data analysis. The third will be devoted to writing up of the thesis. Methodology Study area The Niger Delta region of Nigeria, consist of 37 million inhabitants, constituting about 22% of Nigerias population (Aaron, 2005), with a population density of 265 per square km. it is made up of nine states with more than 1500 communities hosting several oil and gas companies. The oil and gas resources of the Niger Delta accounts for over 85% of Nigerias gross domestic product (GDP), over 95% of the national budget, and over 80% of the nations wealth (Forest, and Sousa, 2006). The region is home to the oil wealth that made Nigeria the highest producer of petroleum in Africa, and the sixth in the world (Yakubu, 2008). Methods Spatial clustering methods and Quantitative risk assessment methods will be used to explain the first and second objectives of this research. Spatial clustering methods will be used to make sense of the complex geographic pattern between the environmental risk and health records in this research. Knowing whether this pattern and cluster exist and where they are located will provide important information for policy formulation and health research (Cromley and McLafferty, 2002; Croner et al., 1992). To avoid the bias of latency and migration, that can present itself in the cause of the research, only information on long term residents in the communities will be used. The spatial distribution of environmental risks will be used to provide a means for determining communities likely to become susceptible to health inequalities and NCDs. For this assessment, communities in the area were treated as substitute for human population and settlement while land, vegetation and rivers were considered the medium of land use. The thiessen polygon will be developed in ArcGIS environment to demarcate boundaries of the communities (because there are no community boundary shapefiles available) and determine the number/different environmental risk sites in each thiessen polygon that represents a community. Quantitative risk assessment will be used to characterise the effects expected from the exposure to an environmental risk, estimating the probability of occurrence of health effects, while estimating the number of occurrence in the population and recommending acceptable concentration of the risk in the air, water or food (Hallenbeck, 1993) Overlaying cluster maps with other spatial maps will provide clues about the cause of disease, while identifying variations in health outcomes linked to differences in the physical and social environment. Clarification of conceptual issues, (the 3rd objective) will be achieved by discussing the results of the analysis carried out within the study and existing studies on environmental injustice and health inequalities to provide justification for the research. Data and Source Secondary data will be collected from published government statistics from the states that make up the sample communities such as maps, etc. Data were also collected from relevant government agencies such as the health board and teaching hospitals information, and local government and chieftaincy affairs. The data will majorly focus on the use of some selected indicators of development vital for health well-being and basic amenities needed to support effective living. The local government areas will serve as aerial units of analysis while the choices of socio-economic indices will be based on the appropriateness of the variables and the availability of the data covering all the LGAs in the study region. The selected indicators that cut across health include number of NCDs, hospitals; doctors; midwives; hospital beds/ 000 populations (2014 census). In addition, GPS data of all environmental risks sites from 1985-2015, will be acquired from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Nigeria (DPR, is the regulatory agency of oil and gas activities in Nigeria). The data were used to assess the environmental risks spatiotemporal distribution and determine exposure susceptibility in the areas. The datasets will contain information on geo-coordinates of individual risk sites, date of occurrence, date of survey and quantity of discharge. Analysis Spatial Analysis description for Average Nearest Neighbour Analysis, Getis-Ord General G tests for High and Low Cluster, and Cluster and Outlier Analysis will be performedin the study (see Appendix A). These spatial analyses were undertaken to measure the spatial pattern and relationship between risk that are spread over a given geographical region (Ebdon, 1985). It helps in assessing and determining the closeness and patterns of the environmental risks sites near settlements. The methods with generate geographical distribution, cluster and pattern analysis of environmental risk and spatio-temporal nature of the incidents. To examine the degree of deprivation among the local government areas in health variables, the Gini index descriptive statistical technique of date analysis was used. The Gini index of concentration examines the extent of concentration of each of the indicators among the local government areas. The Gini Coefficient ranges from zero to one, (0-1) with zero representing perfect equality, and 1 total inequality Intellectual and User Benefits The intellectual contribution of the study will be to enhance the understanding of the effects of socio-economic and cultural characteristics upon the spatial pattern of environmental injustice and health inequalities. The benefits of this research are a direct contribution to developing policy on health management strategy and planning for equality, environmental policy and its applications especially within vulnerable populations. For the researcher, there will be the academic benefits of doctoral research and training in health geography and the development of expertise in research methodology techniques. By working closely with interested parties, the researcher will gain insights into the relationships between academic research and the needs of users. Ethical considerations Full consent will be provided to all research participants with the full research disclosure and confidentiality according to the ethnical research procedure of the University of Edinburgh. Summary and conclusions As the major revenue generation for the country, oil production had been followed by countless environmental problems, associated with other broad inequalities in livelihood, wealth, well-being, poverty; interactions and inequalities in the distribution of burden and responsibilities of the health outcomes. The research aims to undertake a conceptual clarification of what environmental justice and health inequalities mean in the context of the oil producing communities in Nigeria within the theoretical framework of justice theory, and health inequalities. Leading to a more imperatively comprehensive spatial distribution studies with a multi-disciplinary approach to identify health consequences from the oil industry versus non-oil producing areas. Thus, properly assess environmental health disparities through the use of Geospatial techniques. The research will contribute to literatures on the global environmental injustices and health inequalities and the growing need for environmenta l justices. About me Right from my secondary school, Geography had been an extremely interesting field of study to me because of the vast range of topics involved and how it relates to every subject in one way or another, for instance, Health Geography and Public Health. Geography is the study of the world, and geographers proudly holds the keys to the worlds problems. These problems extend to, injustice, health, eco-systems, development, globalisation and natural disasters, all of which are areas which attract me. Geography has been essential for interpreting and solving the concerns of the world, and by furthering my geographical knowledge through the PhD studentship, it will enhance my ability to tackle the imminent problems relating to environmental injustice, crime, pollution. I have a particular interest in the human side of Geography and especially the topics of: health, medical, hazards and the environment. My interest in the PhD research which will covers processes functioning in time as well as space, linking health over the life course with processes of environmental change, human migration, human relations and length of exposures to different environmental risk factors. I am keen to explore the various spatial questions of how and why human health/environmental injustices varies from one area to another at the rate of population increase. I will be interested in examining how individual health- related practices and health outcomes relate to mans varying experience of physical and social environments and injustice. Dissemination The research outcome will be communicating with colleagues and your supervisors as well as with the wider community and, the funding body supporting your research. The dissemination activities include internal seminars, publications, conference presentations and exhibitions. References Aaron, K. (2005) Perspective: Big Oil, Rural Poverty, and Environmental Degradation in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 11, 127-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/2013.18178 Adeola, F. (2000). Cross-National Environmental Injustice and Human Rights Issues: A Review of Evidence in the Developing World. American Behavioral Scientist, (43), 686-705. Adeola, F. (2001). Environmental Injustices and Human Rights Abuse: The States, MNCs, and Repression of Minority Groups in the World System. Human Ecology Review, 8(1), 39-59. Ajayi, T., Torto, N., Tchokossa, P., and Akinlua, A. (2009). Natural Radioactivity and Trace Elements in Crude Oils: Implication for health. Environ. Geochem. Health 31(1):61-69. Ana, G., Sridhar, M., and Asuzu, M. (2010) Environmental risk factors and hospital-based cancers in two Nigerian cities. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 2(8), pp. 216-223. Ana, G., Sridhar, M., and Bamgboye, E. (2009). Environmental risk factors and health outcomes in selected communities of the Niger Delta area, Nigeria. Perspectives in Public Health, 129(4), 183-191. Cromley, E and McLafferty, S (2002). GIS and Public Health, Guilford Press. Croner, C., Pickle, L., wolf, D., and White, A. 1992. A GIS approach to hypothesis generation in epidemiology. In A. W Voss (Ed.), ASPRS/ACSM techinal papers, Vol 3. GIS and cartography (pp. 275-283). Washington, DC: ASPRS/ACSM DOI: 10.5897/JTEHS12.056 Dung, E., Bombom, L.; Agusomu, T. (2008). The effects of gas flaring on crops in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. GeoJournal, 73, 297-305. Ebdon, D. (1985) Statistics in Geography. 2nd Edition, Blackwell Publishing, Hoboken. Forest, J., and Sousa, M. (2006) Oil and Terrorism in the New Gulf: Framing U.S. Energy and Security Policies for the Gulf of Guinea. Lexington Books. Fuentes, A., Ehenreich, B., and Boston, M. (1994). Women in the Global Factory. Philadelphia: South End Press. Gill, D., Picou, J., and Ritchie, L. (2011) The Exxon Valdez and BP Oil Spills: A Comparison of Initial Social and Psychological Impacts. American Behavioral Scientist, 56, 3-23. Hallenbeck, W (1993). Quantitative risk assessment for environmental and occupational health (2nd ed.). Boca Raton. FL: Lewis. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/ajp.150.10.1517 Ikporukpo, C. (2004). Petroleum, Fiscal Federalism and Environmental Justice in Nigeria. Space and Polity, 8(3), 321-354. International Labour Organization ILO (1998). Economic and Social Effects of Multinational Enterprises in Export Processing Zones. Geneva: ILO Kathari. U., Nababsing, V. (1996). Gender and Industrialization. Port Louis, Mauritius: Editous de I Ocean Indeen. Khursid, R., Sheikk, M., and Igbal, S. (2008). Health of People Working/Living in the Viccinity of an Oil-polluted beach, near Karachi, Pakistan. East Mediterr. Health J. 14(1):179-82. Loewenson R 1998. Assessment of the health impact on occupational risk in Africa. Current situation and methodological Issues. Epidemiology, 10(5): 632-639. Nabofa, O., and Suoke Onohwosafe, P. (2011) The Need for Environmental Epidemiological Studies in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria, Ethno Med, 5(3): 201-204 Odigie, O. (2012) Environmental Justice and Poverty Alleviation: Roadmap to Sustainable Development in Nigeria NIALS Journal of Law and Public Policy Vol. 1 NJLPP, pp. 152-180. Ogri, O.O. (2001). A review of the Nigerian petroleum industry and the associated environmental problems. The Environmentalist, 21, 11-21. Palinkas, L., Petterson, J., Russell, J. and Downs, M. (1993) Community Patterns of Psychiatric Disorders after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 1517-1523. Pearce, J., Richardson, E., Mitchell, R., and Shortt, N. (2010). Environmental justice and health: the implications of the socio-spatial distribution of multiple environmental deprivation for health inequalities in the United Kingdom. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 35(4), 522-539. Roberts (1985). Biology: A Functional Approach. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. Roberts, T. (2007). Globalizing Environmental Justice. Environmental Justice and Environmentalism: The Social Justice Challenge to the Environmental Movement, 285-321. Salako, A., Sholeye, O and Ayankoya, S. (2012) Oil spills and community health: Implications for resource limited settings. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences Vol. 4(9), pp. 145-150. Schroeder, R., St. Martin, K., Wilson, B., and Sen, D. (2008). Third World Environmental Justice. Society for Natural Resources, 21, 547-555. Yakubu, L. (2008) Nigeria Loses N5.8b Daily to Gas Flaring. The Guardian, 5th August Appendix A Average Nearest Neighbour: Getis-Ord Genral G Test: Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis (Global Morans I): Outlier Analysis:

Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines Essay

Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) became one of the sectoral members of Adboard on May 1974. The history of outdoor advertising dates back during prehistoric times when man carved stone plates to communicate ideas by displaying them in public places. Hence, outdoor advertising was already present and regarded as a primary medium of advertising before print ads and radio broadcasting has been introduced in the industry. Billboard operators and owners coordinated to form a dynamic organization in an effort to promote growth and improvement in Philippine outdoor advertising. Thus, OAAP was established on August 13, 1964 along with the creation of the Code of Ethics. The Code takes an eight-point framework which standardizes the structures and operating practices of outdoor advertising displays. It stresses urgent need to fall within governmental policies, objectives and code of ethical conduct. †¢ Avoid installing billboards/advertisements of competing products or firms side by side or on the same line of vision; †¢ All outdoor signs must be properly identified; †¢ temporary structure erected on proposed locations to identify the actual site of construction must be respected; †¢ Avoid the installation of a board to cover another board. As to outdoor advertising copy, it shall not in any way contain a statement or convey messages or visual displays that are: †¢ Obscene or offensive to public decency; †¢ False, misleading or deceptive; †¢ Offensive to the moral standards of the community; and †¢ Violative of any national or local law. OAAP has 89 active members all over the Philippines, 63 in Metro Manila, 15 in Cebu City and 13 in the newly-formed Mindanao Chapter. The following are some of its regular members: OAAP has 89 active members all over the Philippines, 63 in Metro Manila, 15 in Cebu City and 13 in the newly-formed Mindanao Chapter.

Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein - 1343 Words

The following essay is a book review of Frankenstein, which summarizes and evaluates the story. The purpose of this essay is to describe the two important qualities, which are the overview of the plot (including the characters of the book), and the book’s strengths as well as weaknesses. Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley and is about a young man named Victor who creates his own human through multiple types of science. The novel is about the monster’s journey in understanding where he came from and seeking revenge towards his creator. The main characters involved are Victor, the creator, the monster, Victor’s family members, etc. There are many strengths and weaknesses of the story, some involving what lessons the novel may teach its readers while demonstrating a sense of revenge that is considered â€Å"acceptable†. Frankenstein Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, was born on August 30th of 1797 in London, England. 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Biography of John Hancock, Founding Father

John Hancock (January 23, 1737–October 8, 1793) is one of America’s best-known founding fathers thanks to his unusually oversized signature on the Declaration of Independence. However, before he autographed one of the nation’s most important documents, he made a name for himself as a wealthy merchant and prominent politician. Fast Facts: John Hancock Known for: Founding father with a prominent signature on the Declaration of IndependenceOccupation: Merchant and politician (president of the Second Continental Congress and governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts)Born: January 23, 1737 in Braintree, MADied: October 8, 1793 in Boston, MAParents: Col. John Hancock Jr. and Mary Hawke ThaxterSpouse: Dorothy QuincyChildren: Lydia and John George Washington Early Years John Hancock III was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, near Quincy, on January 23, 1737. He was the son of Rev. Col. John Hancock Jr., a soldier and clergyman, and Mary Hawke Thaxter. John had all the advantages of a life of privilege, by virtue of both money and lineage. When John was seven years old, his father died, and he was sent to Boston to live with his uncle, Thomas Hancock. Thomas occasionally worked as a smuggler, but over the years, he built up a successful and legitimate mercantile trading operation. He had established profitable contracts with the British government, and when John came to live with him, Thomas was one of the richest men in Boston. John Hancock spent much of his youth learning the family business, and eventually enrolled in Harvard College. Once he graduated, he went to work for Thomas. The firm’s profits, particularly during the French and Indian War, allowed John to live comfortably, and he developed a fondness for finely tailored clothes. For a few years, John lived in London, serving as a company representative, but he returned to the colonies in 1761 because of Thomas’ failing health. When Thomas died childless in 1764, he left his entire fortune to John, making him one of the richest men in the colonies overnight. Political Tensions Grow During the 1760s, Britain was in significant debt. The empire had just emerged from the Seven Years War, and needed to increase revenue quickly. As a result, a series of taxation acts were levied against the colonies. The Sugar Act of 1763 sparked anger in Boston, and men like Samuel Adams became outspoken critics of the legislation. Adams and others argued that only colonial assemblies had the authority to levy taxes upon the North American colonies; because the colonies had no representation in Parliament, Adams said, that governing body wasnt entitled to tax colonists. In early 1765, Hancock was elected to the Boston Board of Selectmen, the city’s governing body. Just a few months later, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which levied a tax upon any sort of legal document—wills, property deeds, and more—leading to enraged colonists rioting in the streets. Hancock disagreed with Parliament’s actions, but initially believed that the right thing for colonists to do was pay taxes as ordered. Eventually, however, he took a less moderate position, openly disagreeing with taxation laws. He participated in a vocal and public boycott of British imports, and when the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, Hancock was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Samuel Adams, the leader of Boston’s Whig party, lent his support to Hancock’s political career, and served as a mentor as Hancock rose in popularity. An illustration depicting a group of rioting colonists protesting against the Stamp Act. MPI / Getty Images In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, a series of tax laws that regulated customs and imports. Once again, Hancock and Adams called for a boycott of British goods into the colonies, and this time, the Customs Board decided that Hancock had become a problem. In April 1768, Customs agents boarded one of Hancock’s merchant ships, the Lydia, in Boston Harbor. Upon discovering they had no warrant to search the hold, Hancock refused to give the agents access to the cargo area of the ship. The Customs Board filed charges against him, but the Massachusetts Attorney General dismissed the case, as no laws had been broken. A month later, the Customs Board targeted Hancock again; it is possible they believed he was smuggling, but it is also possible that he was singled out for his political stances. Hancock’s sloop Liberty arrived in port, and when customs officials inspected the hold the next day, found it was carrying Madeira wine. However, the stores were only at one-fourth of the ship’s capacity, and agents concluded that Hancock must have offloaded the bulk of the cargo during the night in order to avoid paying import taxes. In June, the Customs Board seized the ship, which led to a riot on the docks. Historians have differing opinions on whether Hancock was smuggling or not, but most are in agreement that his actions of resistance helped spark the flames of revolution. In 1770, five people were killed during the Boston Massacre, and Hancock led a call for the removal of British troops from the city. He told Governor Thomas Hutchinson that thousands of civilian militia were waiting to storm Boston if soldiers were not removed from their quarters, and although it was a bluff, Hutchinson agreed to remove his regiments to the outskirts of town. Hancock was given credit for the withdrawal of the British. Over the next few years, he remained active and outspoken in Massachusetts politics, and stood up against further British taxation laws, including the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea Party. Hancock and the Declaration of Independence In December 1774, Hancock was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia; around the same time, he was elected as president of the Provincial Congress. Hancock held significant political influence, and it was only because of Paul Revere’s heroic midnight ride that Hancock and Samuel Adams were not arrested before the battle of Lexington and Concord. Hancock served in Congress during the early years of the American Revolution, regularly writing to General George Washington and relaying requests for supplies to colonial officials. Despite his undoubtedly hectic political life, in 1775 Hancock took the time to get married. His new wife, Dorothy Quincy, was the daughter of prominent justice Edmund Quincy of Braintree. John and Dorothy had two children, but both children died young: their daughter Lydia passed away when she was ten months old, and their son John George Washington Hancock drowned at just eight years of age. Hancock was present when the Declaration of Independence was drafted and adopted. Although popular mythology has it that he signed his name largely and with flourish so King George could read it easily, there is no evidence that this is the case; the story likely originated years later. Other documents signed by Hancock indicate that his signature was consistently large. The reason his name appears at the top of the signatories is because he was president of the Continental Congress and signed first. Regardless, his iconic handwriting has become part of the American cultural lexicon. In common parlance, the phrase â€Å"John Hancock† is synonymous with â€Å"signature.† Fuse / Getty Images The official signed version of the Declaration of Independence, called the engrossed copy, wasn’t produced until after July 4, 1776, and was actually signed at the beginning of August. In fact, Congress kept the names of the signers secret for a while, as Hancock and the others risked being charged with treason if their role in the creation of the document was revealed. Later Life and Death In 1777, Hancock returned to Boston, and was re-elected to the House of Representatives. He spent years rebuilding his finances, which had suffered at the outbreak of the war, and continued working as a philanthropist. A year later, he led men into combat for the first time; as the senior major general of the state militia, he and several thousand troops joined General John Sullivan in an attack on a British garrison at Newport. Unfortunately, it was a disaster, and it was the end of Hancock’s military career. However, his popularity never dwindled, and in 1780 Hancock was elected governor of Massachusetts. Hancock was re-elected annually to the role of governor for the rest of his life. In 1789, he considered a run for the first president of the United States, but that honor ultimately fell to George Washington; Hancock received only four electoral votes in the election. His health was in decline, and on October 8, 1793, he passed away at Hancock Manor in Boston. Legacy After his death, Hancock largely faded from popular memory. This is in part due to the fact that unlike many of the other founding fathers, he left very few writings behind, and his house on Beacon Hill was torn down in 1863. It wasn’t until the 1970s that scholars began seriously investigating Hancock’s life, merits, and accomplishments. Today, numerous landmarks have been named after John Hancock, including the U.S. Navys USS Hancock as well as John Hancock University. Sources History.com, AE Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/john-hancock.â€Å"John Hancock Biography.† John Hancock, 1 Dec. 2012, www.john-hancock-heritage.com/biography-life/.Tyler, John W. Smugglers Patriots: Boston Merchants and the Advent of the American Revolution. Northeastern University Press, 1986.Unger, Harlow G. John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot. Castle Books, 2005.