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By Ava Steele
Patrick Henry was born May 29, 1736 in what is now Hanover Valley, Virginia. He was a part of the 2nd Continental Congress, a founding father and the 1st and 6th Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and 1784 to 1786.
Patrick Henry was also a planter, and a lawyer. He was married to Sarah Shelton Henry from 1754 to 1775 and Dorothea Dandridge from 1777 to 1799. He had 16 children.
Patrick Henry gave his famous speech at the St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775. He was talking to all who were at the Second Virginia Convention.
In his speech, Patrick Henry is telling the colonist that he would rather have die than not have freedom and liberty. He is trying to convince everyone to break away from England's rule. He says that everyone sees the war differently and that things start out nice then get ugly later.
Patrick Henry presented his speech to the Second Virginia Convention to try and convince them to begin preparing troops from Virginia because the war against England was starting.
"It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country."
His counterclaims that he challenges his opponents with is a rhetorical question. He asks what there has been in the conduct of the British over the past ten years that made his opponents believe that there will be improvement in the relationship between Britain and the colonies. Patrick Henry ended his speech with the famous words " Give me Liberty or give me death!" which was his call to action that they should fight to be free.
The tone of Patrick Henry's speech is serious and the mood is also serious. He used very strong language and powerful sentences to prove this. He says " Give me Liberty or Give me Death" to show that he will not give up his freedom. He also says “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!”
In his speech, Patrick Henry uses a lot of different kinds of figurative language. For example, he said that the colonist were listening to "the song of a siren till she transforms us into beast." He is using this allusion and metaphor to represent the colonies following what ever the British say. He also uses metaphors referring to the British Army and Navy, as well as slavery. He likens the restrictions of the British to chain the binds the colonist and limit their freedom. He then ask "Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bond us hand and foot?"
To establish the sense of ethos in the speech he says "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience." He says that he has the necessary experience to judge the British throne from watching them over the past 10 years. When he states all the things that Britain has done wrong, he is stating his logos. He tells them that the British have done nothing but put others down and made themselves superior to others. Patrick Henry's pathos was when he was talking about how Britain has made people feel mistreated and inferior and that the English Throne wants to take away all their rights.
My favorite part of Patrick Henry's speech was his call to action when he spoke his famous words, "Give me liberty, or give me death." He shows a lot of courage by saying that he would rather die than not have his freedom.
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-counterclaim-speech-virginia-convention-559709
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-35-greatest-speeches-in-history/
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-metaphors-henry-use-his-speech-virginia-574541
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-metaphors-henry-use-his-speech-virginia-574541
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-some-examples-ethos-logos-pathos-patrick-776852