Patrick Henry 1736-1799

1. Patrick Henry1736-1799 The Shaping of the American Voice

2. What do you notice about how this artwork depicts Henry?

3. Who Was Patrick Henry? • A young representative who stood up in the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1766 • Delivered a dynamic and thundering speech against the Stamp Act (the hated British tax on all newspapers and public documents) • 10 years later, he was recognized as one of most persuasive figures in Virginia politics

4. What Were his Teenage Years Like? • Lived on frontier in Virginia • Came from a modest home • Often accompanied mother to hear sermons of traveling preachers • Tried to be a farmer and be a merchant before he became a lawyer

5. Why is He Famous? • At 29 years old, he was chosen to represent his region in the VA House of Burgesses • Famous for his speech against the Stamp Act • Also, famous for his “liberty or death” speech in 1775 as the colonies were nearing their breaking point with England

6. What Motivated the “Liberty or Death Speech”? • Following the Boston Tea Party in 1773, British closed port of Boston • They instituted harsh measures referred to as “Intolerable Acts” by colonists • The First Continental Congress protested these acts • The British relieved the colonies of taxation if: 1. They fully support British rule 2. They support British troops in America

7. St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond • March 20, 1775, a convention was held to decide how to respond to the British military threat • George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both there • Several made speeches in favor of compromise • Patrick Henry rose up to share his famous words • At the climax of the speech, he used a letter opener and plunged it toward his chest!!!

8. The Power of Language! • Henry persuaded the delegation • The Virginia Convention voted to arm its people against England • April 19, 1775, the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts ignited the Revolutionary War