His stature eventually rose so high that he became known by both friends and enemies as King Hancock. For his British critics, the nickname was used sarcastically, as a way to taunt the colonists for being simple bumpkins. But for his many allies, the name showed support and admiration for a man who had sacrificed so much while also acting as a backhanded condemnation of the monarchy. An extravagant moderate had been metaphorically crowned by a people rejecting a king. Such was Hancock’s appeal.
—Brooke Barbier, King Hancock (Prologue: "The Signature," pages 6–7)