Give me liberty, or give me death! – Patrick Henry (1775)

Patrick Henry delivered this famous revolutionary monologue on March 23, 1775, at the Second Virginia Convention. The speech took place at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, in front of prominent figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. It was a direct response to the increasing British military presence in the colonies.

The speech was a passionate plea to mobilize the Virginia militia to fight against the oppressive rule of the British Crown. Henry argued that the colonies had exhausted all peaceful diplomatic options and that armed conflict was the only remaining path to freedom. His dramatic conclusion solidified the resolve of the delegates to join the American Revolution.

The speech is legendary for its powerful, rhetorical climax where Henry dramatically declares, "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" This emotional appeal effectively turned the tide of the Virginia Convention in favor of defending the colonies. It remains one of the most quoted phrases in American political history.

Surprisingly, the exact text of the speech was not transcribed in 1775, and no written copy exists from Patrick Henry's actual delivery. The famous version we know today was reconstructed 42 years later in 1817 by biographer William Wirt. Wirt pieced the speech together by interviewing men who had been in the audience at St. John's Church.