Patrick Henry was born at Studley, Hanover County, Virginia, on the 29th of May 1736. His father was a highly reputable man of Scottish descent-his mother was the sister of Judge Winston who was justly celebrated as an eloquent speaker. Patrick Henry was a natural woodsman who loved to hunt.
In 1764 he was employed as an attorney in a case of contested election tried at Richmond. He made no preparation to meet his learned and polished adversaries, and moved awkwardly among them, some, who were squinting at him and his coarse apparel.
When the case was tried the audience and court were electrified by his torrent of native eloquence and lucid logic. Judges Tyler and Winston who were upon the bench declared they had never before witnessed so happy and powerful an effort in point of sublime rhetoric and conclusive argument.
From that time his fame spread among the colonists, and his services were frequently called upon. "A lucrative practice banished want, sunshine friends returned and flashed around him, he leaped upon the flood tide of prosperity. From his childhood he had been a close observer of human nature-the only germ of genius visible in his juvenile character. He had studiously cultivated this important attribute which was of great advantage to him through life. So familiar had he become with the propensities and operations of the mind that he comprehended all its intricacies, impulses and variations. This gave him a great advantage over many of his professional brethren who had studied Greek and Latin more but human nature less than this self-made man. He took a deep and comprehensive view of the causes that impel men to action and of the results produced by the multifarious influences that control them. He grasped the designs of creation, the duty of man to his fellow and his God, the laws of nature, reason and revelation and became a bold advocate for liberty of conscience, equal rights and universal freedom. From the expansive view he had taken of the rights of man, the different forms of government, the oppression of kings, the policy pursued by the mother country towards the American colonies, he was fully convinced that to be great and happy a nation must be free and independent. With the eye of a statesman he had viewed the increasing oppression of the crown. They had reached his noble soul and roused that soul to action. Patrick Henry first charged the revolutionary ball with patriotic fire in Virginia and gave it an impetus that gathered force as it rolled onward."
1765 Resolutions against the Stamp Act
In 1765 he was elected to the Assembly and took a bold stand against British oppression, introducing resolutions against the Stamp Act."Resolved-That the first adventurers and settlers of this his majesty's colony and dominion brought with them and transmitted to their posterity and all other his majesty's subjects since inhabiting in this his majesty's said colony; all the privileges, franchises and immunities that have at any time been held, enjoyed and possessed by the people of Great Britain.
"Resolved-That by two royal charters granted by King James I. the colonies aforesaid are declared entitled to all the privileges, liberties and immunities of denizens and natural born subjects to all intents and purposes as if they had been born and abiding within the realm of England.
"Resolved-That the taxation of the people by themselves or by persons chosen by themselves to represent them who can only know what taxes the people are able to bear and the easiest mode of raising them and are equally affected by such taxes themselves, is the distinguishing characteristic of British freedom and without which the ancient constitution cannot subsist.
"Resolved-That his majesty's liege people of this most ancient colony have uninterruptedly enjoyed the right of being thus governed by their own Assembly in the article of their taxes and internal police and that the same hath never been forfeited or in any other way given up but hath been constantly recognized by the king's people of Great Britain.
"Resolved therefore-That the General Assembly of this colony has the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabitants of this colony and that any attempt to vest such power in any person or persons whosoever other than the General Assembly aforesaid has a manifest tendency to destroy British as well as American freedom."
August 1774 Convention at Williamsburg
The Convention at Williamsburg passed a series of resolutions pledging support to the eastern Colonies in the common cause against the common enemy. Delegates to the General Congress were: Peyton Randolph, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton and Patrick Henry.On the 4th of September the assembly of patriots met in Carpenter's Hall at the city of Philadelphia. This event became famous in the movies, as its orators expressed themselves eloquently and convincing to the cause of freedom.
Peyton Randolph of Virginia was appointed as its president.
A deep and solemn silence ensued and Patrick Henry rose to his feet. "O, my God! what a moment of agonizing suspense! His lips opened-his stentorian voice broke the painful silence-respiration regained its freedom-the hall was illuminated with patriotic fire. With the eloquence of Demosthenes, the philosophy of Socrates, the justice of Aristides and the patriotism of Cincinnatus he took a bold, broad, impartial and comprehensive view of the past, present and future-held up to the light the relations between the mother country and the Colonies-unveiled the dark designs of the corrupt unprincipled ministry-exposed their unholy claims to wield an iron sceptre over America-demonstrated clearly that their ulterior object was the slavery of the people and extortion of money and painted a nation's rights and a nation's wrongs in flaming colors of lurid brightness. The dignity and calmness of his manner, the clearness of his logic, the force of his arguments, the power of his eloquence, the solemnity of his countenance and voice-combined to inspire an awe and deep toned feeling until then unknown to the astonished audience. His elevation of thought seemed supernatural and purified by divinity. He seemed commissioned by the great Jehovah to rouse his countrymen to a sense of impending danger. He sat down amidst repeated bursts of applause the acknowledged Demosthenes of the new world-the most powerful orator of America."
In March 1775 Patrick was a member of the Virginia Convention that convened at Richmond. He proposed resolutions to adopt immediate measures of defense sufficient to repel any invasion by the mother country. Several influential memers were strongly opposed. Reeking with wrongs and insolence as it was, he held that power in utter contempt.
Speech of Patrick Henry
"Mr. President-It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the songs of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who, having eyes see not and having ears hear not the things that so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth-to know the worst and provide for it. I have but one lamp to guide my feet and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past. I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen are pleased to solace themselves and the House? Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has lately been received? Trust it not sir-it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed by a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of your petition comports with those warlike preparations that cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation-the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this mortal array if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy in this quarter of the world to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No sir-she has none. They are meant for us, they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find that have not already been exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm that is coming on. We have petitioned-we have remonstrated, we have supplicated, we have prostrated ourselves before the throne and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted, our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult, our supplications have been disregarded and we have been spurned with contempt from the foot of the throne." In vain after these things may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer room for hope. If we wish to be free-if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending-if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained-we must fight! I repeat it sir-we must fight!! An appeal to arms and the God of Hosts is all that is left us. It is vain sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry-peace! peace!-but there is no peace. The war is actually begun. The next gale that comes from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field. What is it gentlemen wish? What would they have? Why stand we here idle? Is life so dear and 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 Death! "
To this date, every American knows the effects of this speech. It was electical.
"In August when the Convention met Mr. Henry was again elected to the Continental Congress and remained one of the boldest champions of right and justice. In June 1776 he was elected Governor of his native state. He served faithfully for two years and although unanimously re-elected declined serving longer. In 1780 he was a member of the legislature of his state and manifested an unabating zeal in the cause he had nobly espoused and essentially advanced. In 1788 he was a member of the Virginia Convention convened to consider the Federal Constitution. To that instrument he was strongly opposed because he believed it consolidated the states into one government destroying the sovereignty of each. His eloquence on that occasion is believed to have reached its zenith for the first time. His closing speech surpassed all former efforts and operated so powerfully that only a small majority voted for the adoption of the Constitution. During his remarks an incident occurred that enabled him almost to paralyze his audience. After describing the magnitude of the measure on which hung the happiness or misery of the present generation and millions yet unborn-with a voice and countenance solemn as the tomb-his eyes raised upward, he appealed to the God of Heaven and to angels then hovering over them to witness the thrilling scene and invoked their aid in the mighty work before him. At that moment a sudden thunder storm commenced its fury and shook the very earth. Upon the roar of the tempest his stentorian voice continued to rise-he figuratively seized the artillery of the elements as by supernatural power-enveloped his opponents in a blaze of liquid lightning-hurled the crashing thunderbolts at their heads and seemed commissioned by the great Jehovah to execute a deed of vengeance. The scene was fearfully sublime-the effect tremendous. The purple current rushed back upon the aching heart-every countenance was pale, every eye was fixed, every muscle electrified, every vein contracted, every mind agonized-the sensation became insupportable-the members rushed from their seats in confusion and left the room without a formal adjournment."
Mr. Henry remained in the legislature of his state until 1791; in 1795 President George Washington offered him the office of Secretary of State. He declined the honor. In 1794 he was again elected governor of Virginia but was in too poor health to serve. In 1799, President Adams appointed him Envoy to France in conjunction with Messrs. Murray and Ellsworth, but his declining health would not permit him to accept this last appointment.
Patrick Henry died on June 6, 1799.
Footnote
One of my ancestors, Michael Holland of Goochland County, Virginia was represented by Patrick Henry in a trial for murder. Holland was guility. But Patrick Henry aroused the sympathies of the jury by directing his attention to the elderly man, and won the day!Source: The Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson
Patrick Henry by Jeannette Holland Austin published on medium.com