Patrick Henry
Born: 1736 Died: 1799
Occupation: Patriot orator
From: American Political Leaders, American Biographies.
Long recognized as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history, Patrick
Henry's famous lines—"If this be treason, make the most of it" and "Give
me liberty or give me death"—have been widely recognized by all
Americans. Henry was one of the earliest advocates of American
independence, governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War, and a
determined supporter of the addition of the Bill of Rights to the U.S.
Constitution.
Patrick Henry was born on May 29, 1736, at Studley, a small village in
Hanover County, Virginia. His father was John Henry, a Scotsman who was
educated at Aberdeen University and immigrated to Virginia where he was a
judge, surveyor, and army officer. Young Henry was largely educated by his
father and studied on his own before becoming a lawyer.
His first revolutionary clash with the British came when he was a colonel in
the Virginia militia. The British-appointed colonial governor seized a large
quantity of gunpowder that the colonial legislature had set aside for the
Virginia militia and stored it aboard his ship anchored in a Virginia harbor.
Henry, with a regiment of Virginia colonial militia, then marched on the
Virginia capitol, forcing the governor to return the gunpowder to the militia's
control. This event came to be known as the famous "Gunpowder Affair."
Henry was elected as a delegate to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where
he served from 1765 to 1774. He became a radical and one of the first to
speak out against England in that country's attempt to impose taxation
without representation. In 1765, during a heated debate in the House of
Burgesses on the Stamp Act, he said, "If this be treason, make the most of
it," while the other delegates shuddered.
Ten years later in 1775, his most famous speech occurred at St. John's
Church in Richmond when he said, "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I
know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give
me death." He had already been elected to the Second Continental Congress
in 1774 at that time and continued there until 1776. He also had overlapping
service in the Virginia provincial (constitutional) convention in 1775. While
there, he personally drafted the religious freedom section of the state
constitution at the time of Virginia's independence.
Henry was elected governor of Virginia in 1776 and stayed in that position
until 1779. As governor, he was not able to lead troops in the field, but he
supplied men from Virginia for George Washington's army as well as for his
state's militia forces. Henry aided Daniel Boone and his westerners in
Kentucky (then a part of Virginia) in holding the territory for the Revolution
against British and Indian attacks. He also supported Colonel George Rogers
Clark in the winning of the Northwest Territory. Clark's victories in Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois clinched that territory for America during the
negotiations that ended the war with England.
After the Revolutionary War was over, Henry continued working for
individual freedom. He was elected Virginia's governor again in 1784 and
led the fight for the Virginia Religious Freedom Act of 1785. Initially he
opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution, principally because it did not
contain a Bill of Rights. After successfully working for the adoption of the
Bill of Rights, he became a Federalist. In 1794, he retired and resumed
private legal practice. He was offered several important posts, such as chief
justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, secretary of state, and U.S. minister to
Spain and to France, but he declined them because of failing health. He even
turned down a sixth term as governor. Despite Patrick Henry's illness,
George Washington persuaded him to become a candidate for the state
legislature in 1799, but he died on June 6 of that year.
Text Citation:
Wilson, Richard L. "Henry, Patrick." American Political Leaders, American
Biographies. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. American History Online.
Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE52&iPin=APL127&SingleRecord=True (accessed
September 24, 2008).