Question

complete the sentence with the word that best fits the overall meaning and tone. many of the men who signed the declaration of independence were _ merchants, including john hancock, who was the richest man in new england. prosperous pretentious

Explanation:

The sentence mentions that John Hancock was the richest man in New England. The word "prosperous" means successful and wealthy, which fits well with the context of merchants being well - off. The word "pretentious" means trying to appear more important or sophisticated than one is, which does not match the context of describing successful merchants.

Answer:

prosperous