Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

This study guide will help you analyze Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” (1775) speech In addition to help for your analysis, you can find a summary of the text and ideas for putting it into perspective.

Patrick Henry (1736 – 1799) was an American attorney, politician, and the first governor of Virginia. He is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, as he was a major figure in the American revolution and war for independence from Great Britain and was part of a group of leaders who helped unite the Thirteen American Colonies and create the basis of government for the United States of America. His “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech is considered a key factor that influenced the Virginia convention to send troops for the American Revolutionary War.

Extract

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The American Revolutionary War

In his speech, Patrick Henry argued that Great Britain intended to make the colonies submit to their demands at all costs. Henry pointed out that Britain’s behavior indicated that it was not looking for peaceful negotiations or a repeal of the Intolerable Acts. His speech shifted the congregation’s opinion in favor of sending Virginian troops for the revolutionary war of independence, which he believed was inevitable.

The American Revolutionary War started just a month after Henry delivered his speech, in April 1775. The war was initially considered a civil war inside the British Empire, but a few years later, France and Spain entered the war on the side of the colonists, turning the war...