“Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry (1775)
http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/giveme.cfm
The Virginia Conventions were a series of five political meetings in the Colony of Virginia during the American Revolution. At the second convention, Patrick Henry proposed arming the Virginia militia and delivered his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech which made him a very well remembered delegate. Patrick Henry's speach inspired many other colonists to partake in the cause. Patrick Henrys speech is very powerful and moving and it helped lift the spirits of colonists. The strongest parts of Patrick Henrys speech to me are the opening and closing lines. The opening line, "No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism" shows how Henry supported Virginia and was a patriot and would do whatever it took to keep Virginia from falling to British crown. Patrick realized that there was no peace at this time, "Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace²but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!Our brethren are already in the field!" He basically was telling people that if they did nothing there would be no freedom. They needed to fight back against British rule to be free. Patrick Henry last line in his speech is the most memorable and moving of all. "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Patrick was saying that if he cant live as a free man he doesn't want to live at all. This line from the speech had a huge impact on the colonists. Patrick believed in his colony, "Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us" and was trying to convince people that the best thing to do was fight. I think Patrick Henry is an important figure in history and made a huge difference. He unified the colonists to stand against the superior ruler.
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