“Speech to the Virginia Convention”
Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775
Background Info—important events that occurred before Patrick Henry delivered his speech to the
Virginia House of Burgesses:
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1770 – The Boston Massacre
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The Boston Tea Party
•
The Intolerable Acts
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a punishment for the Boston Tea Party, which took away numerous rights for
colonists in Massachusetts:
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no more town meetings, assemblies, or jury trials
•
British close the port of Boston
•
Frustration led to the colonists creating the first Continental Congress.
•
The delegates of the CC petitioned the Brits, asking for a reprieve from the taxation. The
Brits agreed, but had some conditions:
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Colonial support of British rule
•
British Troops stationed throughout the colonies and in the harbors
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Colonies must pay for the troops
When it’s Patrick Henry’s turn, nearly every previous speaker has advocated that the colonies
should keep making requests, negotiate, and attempt compromise with the British.
While re-reading the speech on page 230-234 of the English III grade level textbook,
answer the following questions. Skip lines between each question. Write in
complete sentences.
1. (lines 1-14 – opening paragraph)
A) What does Henry do at the beginning of his speech to establish his credibility with his
audience? Consider the rhetorical triangle, Henry’s purpose, and the predominant beliefs of
his audience.
B) Write out/finish this sentence starter:
Henry’s _________ diction reveals his ___________ attitude towards ___________. Words such as
___________ and ___________ to describe (elaboration/context) are designed to (the effect Henry
hopes the words will have on his audience OR what it might cause them to think about, feel,
remember, etc.).
2. (lines 15-28) Here is an example of a writer/speaker using metaphorical allusions to support
and advance his argument.
A)Find the LITERARY ALLUSION and use this structure to write your sentence.
Alluding to _______________, Henry compares ______________ to ________________ in order
to convey the idea that __________________________.
The book’s notes on these allusions are minimal, so it might help to talk to a classmate or to
look up some info on your phone in order to understand the reference.
B)Find the BIBLICAL ALLUSION in the last sentence of this passage and use this
template to write your sentence.
When (elaboration/context of what comes prior), Henry alludes to _________, comparing
________ to ________, in order to (the effect he hopes this choice will have on his audience).
3. (lines 29-40)
A) Paraphrase in your own words (1-2 sentences) the central argument Henry makes in this
paragraph.
B) Now identify the logical syllogism that’s at the heart of the argument you paraphrased in
part A. Instead of simply listing the major and minor premise and the conclusion, this time
let’s practice writing it out. Use the template below:
Operating under the assumption that _________ (look for an implied, universal assumption),
Henry points out that because the British ___________, the delegates should conclude that
_________.
4. (lines 41-55) Find an example of Henry appealing to logic by offering factual proof to refute a
common argument voiced by many delegates. Use the template below:
While many of the delegates take the position that _________, Henry exposes the flaw in their
logic by pointing out that ___________.
5. (lines 62-end)
A) In this section, Henry takes on the argument that the colonists “are weak—unable to
cope with so formidable an adversary” (234). How does he utilize a pathos appeal to
refute this argument? Consider what specific emotion he is trying to elicit from his
audience.
Possible sentence starter: Henry counters/refutes the belief/claim/idea/argument that
____________ by ______________.
B) Now, explain how Henry attempts to crush this same argument but with a logos appeal.
6. (lines 41-end) Find an example of Henry utilizing a periodic sentence and explain the
intended effect of this syntactical choice. *Look up “periodic sentence” if you don’t know what
this is.
7. (lines 80-86) The very famous last line of Henry’s speech is actually a fallacy—an error in
logic that, nonetheless, can sometimes be used effectively for a slam dunk pathos appeal.
A) Do a little research and figure out what kind of fallacy this is.
B) Given Henry’s rhetorical purpose, why is this particular fallacy so famous and so
effective?