Essay On Give Me Death By Patrick Henry

“Give me liberty or give me death,” is a quote from Patrick Henry’s famous speech delivered March 23, 1775 to the members of the Virginia Congress. The passing of the Stamp Act by the British crown in 1765 triggered the start of a major revolution. He urged his fellow Americans living in the thirteen colonies to call to arms against Britain. He respectfully introduces a set of new ideas to the audience, the members of the Virginia Congress, without immediately dismissing their opinions. Henry urged patriots to no longer let the British Monarchy rule over them. He implores that the colonies have been subdued and that the only way to establish their independence is to start a revolution.

The Revolutionary War split the people of the American

They believed that the American colonies would be substandard without Britain and that they made profit from trade with England. The loyalists debated that the colonies were too far away from Britain to have representation in Parliament, it just was not practical. British government argued that, “ the Americans cannot ‘properly’ be represented in Parliament” (Frazer, 42). They strongly opposed the Patriots in their war for independence, they believed that it was an act of treason toward Britain. Many loyalists took it upon themselves to help fight the American rebels. For example, famous loyalist Edmund Fanning raised a , “Loyalist regiment that fought in partisan actions in the New York area throughout the war”

He urged his fellow Americans to rebel against the British crown and fight for their independence. In his speech, he preached, “I consider it nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery”, (Henry, 1). He uses “it” to refer to the colonists’ need to fight. Henry indicates that Britain gives the colonies false hope which causes dehumanization of the colonists causing a range of emotions extending from rage and displeasure to fears. The third paragraph of Henry’s speech provides evidence for why his argument is noteworthy. He strongly advises his supporting revolutionaries by preaching, ” 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!,” (Henry,