{"data":{"description":"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death speech, speech and picture essay of the man who, in Jefferson's words, got the ball of Revolution rolling, Patrick Henry.","title":"Patrick Henry - Advocate For Change ","post_type":"page","content":"\u003ch2 style=\"color: #ad8431;\"\u003eA Picture Essay of Patrick Henry's Famous Speech\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eWho was \u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/early-america-review/volume-8/patrick-henry/\"\u003ePatrick Henry\u003c/a\u003e? And why do we remember his words?\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eTo understand the man and the event, let's go back in time.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eThe date is Thursday, March 23, 1775. The place: \u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/bookmarks/give-liberty-give-death/st-johns-church\"\u003eSt. John's Church\u003c/a\u003e in Richmond Virginia. The event: A meeting of Virginia's colonial leaders at the Second Virginia Convention.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eHenry was the delegate from Hanover County at the meeting to discuss the recent proceedings of America's First Continental Congress. Peyton Randolph was President of the Convention attended by 120 delegates, including such notables as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Richard Henry Lee.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eThe meeting turned into a series of debates over whether or not to arm the colony of Virginia as a defense against possible incursions by the British army.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eHenry's reputation as a fiery and passionate orator preceded his appearance at the convention. A prominent lawyer, Henry twelve years earlier won renown in arguing the Parson's Cause at the Hanover County Courthouse. During that case he described the King as \"a tyrant who forfeits the allegiance of his subjects.\" Two years later in 1765 his Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions before the House of Burgesses were met with angry cries of treason. Henry's reply: \"If this be treason, make the most of it.\"\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eAt the end of the four-day meeting in Virginia Patrick Henry rose to deliver his speech, facing his fellow delegates. He forcefully urged them to establish a defense of Virginia, arguing that the colony needed a \"well regulated militia.\" It was imperative, he declared, that Virginia be prepared to oppose King George III. He ended his impassioned speech for independence with the words:\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death Speech\" href=\"/earlyamerica/bookmarks/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death-speech/\"\u003e\"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.\"\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eMany at the meeting were loathe to oppose the mother country, instead favoring conciliatory measures. But Henry's stirring and persuasive call to arms won the day, and the delegates voted to support his resolutions.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eThomas Jefferson described Henry as the man who \"set the ball of Revolution rolling\" in Virginia. Patrick Henry's immortal words have been described as \"the most famous cry for freedom in the world.\"\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003ePatrick Henry was a lawyer, patriot, orator and a participant in every phase of America's founding. But even more than that, Patrick Henry became a symbol of America's struggle for liberty and self-government.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cimg src=\"/images/earlyamerica/Henry6_lg.jpg\" alt=\"Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death\" style=\"max-width:100%;\" /\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatrick Henry's rousing speech to call arms won favor with  colonial leaders at the Second Virginia Convention on Thursday, March 23, 1775.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003ctable style=\"height: 160px;\" width=\"731\"\u003e\r\n\u003ctbody\u003e\r\n\u003ctr\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/Henry7_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5174 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry7.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry Speech\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/henry5_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5172 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry5.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry Speech\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/Henry4_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5171 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry4.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry Speech\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003c/tr\u003e\r\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\r\n\u003c/table\u003e\r\n\u003ctable style=\"height: 160px;\" width=\"731\"\u003e\r\n\u003ctbody\u003e\r\n\u003ctr\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/Henry3_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5170 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry3.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry Speech\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/Henry2_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5169 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry2.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry Speech\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/Henry1_lg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5168 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/patrick_henry1.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Henry\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003c/tr\u003e\r\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\r\n\u003c/table\u003e\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eMore About Patrick Henry:\u003c/strong\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\t\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/early-america-review/volume-8/patrick-henry/\"\u003ePatrick Henry: America's Radical Dissenter\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\r\n\t\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/portrait/patrick-henry/\"\u003ePortrait of Patrick Henry\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\r\n\t\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/early-america-review/volume-8/the-proclamation-against-patrick-henry/\"\u003eThe Proclamation Against Patrick Henry\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\r\n\t\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/bookmarks/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death-speech/\"\u003eRead The Full Text of Patrick Henry's Famous Speech\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\r\n\u003c/ul\u003e","menu":[{"path":"lives-early-america","title":"Famous Lives","submenu":[{"path":"lives-early-america/autobiography-benjamin-franklin","title":"Autobiography of Ben Franklin"},{"path":"lives-early-america/ramsays-life-washington","title":"Ramsay's The Life of Washington"},{"path":"lives-early-america/adventures-col-daniel-boone","title":"The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boone"},{"path":"lives-early-america/true-story-paul-revere","title":"The True Story of Paul Revere"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"portrait","title":"Portraits"},{"path":"rare-images/last-men-revolution","title":"The Last Men of the Revolution"}]},{"path":"freedom-documents","title":"Freedom Documents","submenu":[{"path":"freedom-documents/bill-rights","title":"Bill of Rights"},{"path":"freedom-documents/declaration-independence","title":"Declaration of Independence"},{"path":"freedom-documents/u-s-constitution","title":"The U.S. Constitution"}]},{"path":"world-early-america","title":"World of Early America","submenu":[{"path":"bookmarks","title":"Early American Bookmarks"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"firsts","title":"Firsts!"},{"path":"rare-images/maps","title":"Maps"},{"path":"rare-images","title":"Rare Images"},{"path":"music1","title":"Music"},{"path":"writings","title":"The Writings of Early America"}]},{"path":"boston-massacre","title":"Boston Massacre"},{"path":"milestone-events","title":"Milestones"},{"path":"early-america-review","title":"The Review"},{"path":"home/teachers-students","title":"Teachers"},{"path":"sitemap","title":"Sitemap"}]},"success":true}