The town was officially incorporated in 1820, and was named for Maryland publisher of the Federal Republican newspaper and U.S.

Hanson was a champion of free speech and freedom of the press, and he was severely beaten and his newspaper offices were attacked and destroyed by an angry mob after he published an article that was critical of the administration shortly after the outbreak of the War of 1812.

[2][3] The town's early industry revolved around farming, as well as bog iron and quarrying.

Hanson is considered one of the inland towns of Massachusetts's South Shore and is bordered by Rockland and Hanover to the north, Pembroke to the east, Halifax to the south, East Bridgewater to the west, and Whitman to the northwest.

[9] Hanson, like many towns in central Plymouth County, is dominated by lakes, rivers, and swamps.

To the north of town lies the Little Cedar Swamp, along Indian Head Brook.

Historically, the town of Hanson was home to several unique and distinct villages.

By 1940, only the South Hanson and Monponsett Post Offices remained open, with Bryantville being moved to the Pembroke side of the road.

On the national level, Hanson is a community of the Ninth congressional district, currently represented by Bill Keating.

The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Second Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes Brockton, Halifax, Hanover, Whitman and portions of East Bridgewater and Easton.

[26] The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

The Hanson Police Department headquarters, built in 2007, is located on Main Street (Rte.

Their chief rival is nearby Abington High, whom they play in the annual Thanksgiving Day football game.

In addition to Whitman-Hanson, students may choose to attend South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover free of charge.

The town lies along the Kingston-Plymouth line of the MBTA's commuter rail service, with a stop along Route 27.