Why Life Matters: The American Revolution

Patrick Henry was born in 1736 and grew up in Virginia, where he received little formal education until he taught himself law and became a lawyer in 1760. As a lawyer, Henry was very successful and used his leadership to begin speaking out against the English government. He firmly believed that the colonies should be free to rule themselves and not fall under British rule. Henry held several positions in government. In 1774, he was a member of the Continental Congress. In 1780, he served in Virginia’s legislature. He also was the first governor of the state of Virginia from 1776-1779 and served as governor again from 1784-1786. Henry was a strong leader and powerful speaker. His speeches inspired others to stand up against British rule. Specifically, Henry encouraged others to fight for the liberty they had originally longed for when they came to America.

In March of 1775, Henry met with others in the Second Virginia Convention to discuss their strategy to obtain their liberty from the British. During this meeting, Henry delivered his most famous speech. In this speech, Henry said, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Interestingly, there are no written accounts of Henry’s speech. Not only did he speak without any notes, but no one wrote down what he said. The only known version of the speech was recorded in 1817 when author William Wirt wrote a biography of Patrick Henry.

In Wirt’s book, Henry’s speech is written as:

“Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?… 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!” Historians believe that this speech helped convince the members of the Second Virginia Convention to begin preparing for war to fight for liberty.

Patrick Henry was a lawyer, farmer, and business owner, and he believed deeply in freedom. Henry did not like how King George III kept colonists from having a say in their government. All of the colonists were from England – they deserved to be involved too! While others didn’t want to go to war, he knew it was the only way they could have peace and true freedom. In 1774, a group of men, including Patrick Henry, met together in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This meeting was called the Continental Congress, and those who were part of this group, someone from every colony, had an equal vote in deciding how they should deal with the British. Patrick Henry was so instrumental in uniting the colonies that he became the governor of Virginia during the American Revolution. They were determined to make a government for themselves.

Patrick Henry was an exceptional speaker. The people of the American colonies were moved by his speeches and listened intently to what he had to say. He played a pivotal role in uniting the colonists. Some of his most famous words are listed here:

• “Give me liberty or give me death!”

  Liberty means freedom. Patrick Henry wanted freedom so badly that he was willing to die for it. Some soldiers identified with this saying so much that they put these words on their shirts.

• “If we wish to be free, we must fight!”

  Patrick Henry believed that no one should live under a king with absolute rule, singularly making all the decisions. Freedom isn’t free, however; Henry understood that freedom would have to be won.

“It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.”

A tyrant is a ruler who does whatever he wants and doesn’t listen to anyone else. When Patrick Henry used the word “tyrant,” he was talking about King George III. The word “forge” means to make or form. Henry was implying that when people choose to not listen to God’s voice and do only what they want to do, they allow tyrants to take control or become tyrants themselves. God knows what is best for us. That’s why it is so important to pray, read our Bibles, and listen to our parents and spiritual leaders who help us learn how to obey God. Our true freedom is found in walking closely with God and in His ways!

Patrick Henry was always looking for ways to help people during the Revolutionary War. General George Washington wrote many letters to the Continental Congress, asking to send more food for his army, but no one answered. It was wintertime and snowing, and food was running out at Valley Forge, where his army was camped. George Washington’s army needed food quickly, so they’d have the strength to keep fighting. Patrick Henry knew how to help. He made plans to send 10,000 pigs, 3,000 cows, and 2,600 bushels of salt from Virginia to Pennsylvania. That is over 24,000 gallons! (Imagine 24,000 gallons of milk!)

• Why do you think Patrick Henry wanted to send so much salt?

Salt sure is tasty. Many people love to put it on food to add more flavor, like on french fries or vegetables. But did you know that salt can help the meat stay fresh for longer? Salt was very valuable for this reason. It was the only way to preserve meat until refrigerators and freezers were invented. In ancient times, salt was worth just as much as gold was – all because it helped meat last longer!

Washington never got the food promised by Patrick Henry because a group of colonial leaders who didn’t think Washington was doing a good job as general blocked the transaction.

Did George Washington ever get help? Yes, thankfully. A group of Native Americans brought his army over 600 baskets of corn. They even helped teach the soldiers how to cook the different kinds of corn they hadn’t seen before.

• What group was Patrick Henry a part of?
• What does the word liberty mean?