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. pretentious prosperous

Explanation:

To determine the correct word, we analyze the context. The sentence mentions John Hancock was the richest man in New England, so we need a word describing successful merchants. "Pretentious" means showy or affected, which doesn't fit. "Prosperous" means successful and wealthy, matching the context of rich merchants.

Answer:

prosperous