give me liberty or give me death by patrick henry

They led to the formation of the First Continental Congress in 1774, to which Henry was elected. In time, each of the 13 Colonies set up such committees. Henry argued in favor of mobilization.Īlong with Thomas Jefferson and Richard Henry Lee, Henry called on the House of Burgesses to adopt resolutions that would hook up Virginia with the other colonies through a so-called standing committee of correspondence. The legislators were divided on whether to mobilize for military action against the British military forces, under the command of John Murray, the fourth earl of Dunmore and the royal governor. Since Henry’s speech followed the British march on Concord by a few hours, the twin events marked the beginning of the American Revolution. John’s Church in Richmond, where the colonial legislature, House of Burgesses, was meeting.

Throughout the Revolution, throughout American history, these words have echoed through every freedom loving American, and it all started, 247 years ago today.Henry spoke to an assembly of his fellow Virginians at St. Loud and proud, he proclaimed to all the delegates there, “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death.” These words would live on longer than perhaps Henry himself thought they would.

His speech was well-received, though it was how he ended the speech that remains in our minds to this date. This being the time before Lexington and Concord on April 19, all Colonies were in debate of raising non-kingdom sanctioned militias. Henry gave a great speech, that is all but forgotten. Though militias already existed in Virginia, and all of the 13 Colonies, the debate was to have an officially recognized one, one that would not tow the line of the King, but of the Colonists. The topic of the day was whether or not the Colony should form a militia in response to growing threats of division from the mother country. It was just 247 years ago today, March 23, 1775, that the delegate to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry, gave perhaps one of his most momentous speeches at a time when Colonists were thinking more than just words, but action! Patrick Henry, one of our renowned Founding Fathers, was surrounded by both anxious Patriots denouncing the King, and Loyalists who were trying to keep the Empire intact.

Give me liberty or give me death by patrick henry