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Patrick Henry's Speech 'Give Me Liberty Of Give Me Death'

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What does it feel like when something belongs to you and it is very special but suddenly someone more powerful than you threatens to take that thing from you and there is not a single thing that you can do about it but sit there helplessly, watching them take that thing you cared so much about from you. That is the situation that Patrick Henry is confronted with and the thing that is being taken from him is his freedom. He needs to convince the Americans to fight the British that are going to come to America and enslave all of its citizens. Although this may seem like a relatively simple task, Patrick Henry is faced with several problems. First of all he need to find a way to come up with a reasonable answer. Another problem is that there are several people in America that side with the British they think the British are good and, naturally, they get offended when people …show more content…

In Patrick Henrys speech “Give me Liberty of give me Death” He claims that the British army is coming to bind all citizens by chains, he persuades his audience because he shows how the British are deceitful and …show more content…

he wants many people to come together and speak on that subject. Although a very interesting question that could come up in the debate is why Patrick Henry compares freedom or slavery and the British coming to America. This question is answered in his speech, he says that the British have a history of deceiving people, they show no mercy or compassion. This is why tries so hard to convince all the Americans to

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Under the control of the British Parliament in 1775, the American colonies consider going to war in order to gain independence from Britain. In “Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention,” Henry addresses the need for American colonists to work together to stop the British from controlling them. Thus, Henry’s periodic sentence, rhetorical questions, antithesis, and anaphora successfully convince the American colonists to unite against the British and to bring awareness to their wrongdoings. Firstly, Henry applies periodic sentences and rhetorical questions to convey the idea that the American Colonists must fight back against the British by working together if they want to gain freedom. Henry believes that “if [they] wish to

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Lawyer and politician, Patrick Henry in his speech, “Give me Liberty Or Give Me Death” (March 23, 1775), explains that he give this plea to urge the old dominion to form militias to defend itself against British. He supports his claim by first using a religious reference to express the themes of freedom, equality, and independence. Then uses a selection of other strategies like rhetorical question and allusion to disprove the opposing arguments and clarify the point he is making. Patrick Henry purpose is to fight back and he wants other to fight with him in order for independence. He creates a powerful and commanding tone for the second Virginia convention.

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Patrick Henry was born in 1736 and believed that the people should be free from the rule of the English Parliament. For example in the Speech in the Virginia Convention he says, “I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission?” His words make it clear that the purpose of the martial law is to force people into submission. He then asks the audience, “Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it?” Both quotes are great examples of his skills in voice because he brings up the problem and then challenges them to find any other meaning behind the words.

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Liberty or Death “Give me Liberty or give me Death!” It was 1775 the time were colonist were trying to break free from British troops and Government. Colonist steadily paying unfair taxes, on all newspaper and public documents which the British Parliament named the “ Stamp Act”. The colonist feared that they would be overruled and would never get there freedom. The only thing they wanted was to get their rights and a new government.

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Forbid it, Almighty God!” ,( ). Patrick Henry is trying to appeal to their emotions by asking if they would rather be enslaved with no freedom than have the courage to fight

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The speech’s main purpose is to persuade people to fight for their freedom. Patrick Henry’s speech is truly meant to persuade the Virginia Convention to prepare for war if the British government fails to comply to the needs of the convention. He uses an urgent and inspirational tone to deliver a thought provoking speech. This is essential to getting his point across, and that the need for assertiveness is significant. The convention was practically split in half, some wanting peace no matter what, and others who wanted immediate action toward the Britains.

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Near the end of British control, the American colonists got angry about what was happening in their country and start to spread the idea of self-rule. In 1775, Patrick Henry gave the “Speech in the Virginia Convention” to persuade the representatives to prepare for the impending war with the British and fight for independence. One reason Patrick Henry wants to persuade them into to following him is to prepare for war. He wishes to convince them to prepare for the incoming “storm” which they have been doing “everything that could be done” to avoid the “storm”. He is trying to convince the delegates that the option of war is impossible to hold off any longer and will not wait for the colonists to be ready.

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He was able to motivate through the use of rhetorical questions, a strong emotional appeal, and speaks directly to the audience in 1st person to influence their opinions personally. One of the main goals of the speech was to bring a sense of nationalism into the colonists through fear of what would happen if the British had control of America. Henry uses first person to bring a sense of mutual bonding to show that he is one of them and wants to help be a part of a movement which drew the people towards him. He encourages the fight by saying “we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!”.

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Patrick Henry’s claim in his speech to the Virginia Convention is war with England is the only way to win freedom and their desires because England makes this the only choice. Before Patrick went up there were other men that had spoken before him, these men were speaking their views on whether or not they should initialize the war. Once Patrick has his chance to say his part he believes that they should fight because England hasn’t been fair. Patrick states this basically by saying “An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us”. This is such a powerful statement because what he’s proposing is extremely dangerous.

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Patrick Henry, a Virginian lawyer, made himself known for the speeches supporting American democracy. He is known as the "Orator of Liberty." In 1775, American colonists were still under Great Britain’s power. Many were hoping to be able to work out their disagreements and remain British subjects. Patrick Henry had had enough of cooperating with the British.

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Patrick Henry, former governor of Virginia, bravely spoke on the 23rd of March, 1775, at St. John’s Church, introducing his strategies to end the American Revolution in victory. The speech was so inspiring that it ignited a massive flame of patriotism. Americans began to greatly support his political ideology. Due to his stirring choice of words, the phrase “Give me liberty, or give me death!” impacted the listeners, making his remarkable words yet known to this date.

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Patrick wanted the Colonist to know that the British were trying to take their freedom and rights so they should fight back and stand against them. By Appealing to the Colonist feelings, gaining their trust, and backing up what he was trying to prove with facts he made the colonist really see what was going on and showed them why they should fight against the British. This speech is important because it shows how well you can get your point across by using a rhetorical appeal or as Patrick did, use all three of

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In the “Speech to the Virginia Convention” given by Patrick Henry to the President in 1775, asserts that the colonists should not be trying to negotiate with the British. His purpose was to convince the audience that they should not be trying to befriend the people of Great Britain rather that they should make Great Britain their foe. Henry uses his speech to appeal to both the President and the colonist through the use of figurative language, tone, and syntax. Patrick Henry’s use of diction, a persuasive and forceful tone, appeal to ethos and pathos, as well as various syntactical elements in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention” shows that the colonists should be fighting to break away from the British monarchy rather than negotiate terms to try and stay under their clutches.

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756 Words | 4 Pages

In 1775 the American Colonies stood at a tipping point. Britain and the Colonies had been embroiled in a continuing struggle over numerous injustices, and the Colonies seemed at long last situated to engage in a revolution against Britain. However, the colonial representatives were still tied up in negotiations with Britain, and many delegates of the Virginia Convention wanted to delay actions until the negotiations had concluded. Patrick Henry disagreed with the delay, so he addressed the Convention, arguing for the need to mobilize troops against the British, a request tantamount to treason. Instead of shying away from the polarizing nature of his argument, Henry adopted a respectful, but urgent, tone, crafting an argument that would inspire his audience into action.

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Patrick Henry Argument Analysis Throughout Patrick Henry’s speech, he uses many literary devices to convey his thought and opinions to his audience, and with it, he hopes to alter or sway their views on the subject matter. Starting from the very end of Henry's speech, he states “but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”, this now infamous line uses the logical fallacy of false dilemma. This fallacy, also known as either/or, plays to his advantage as it makes the problem seem greater than it actually is by only presenting two extreme options, liberty or death. Another literary device Henry uses in his speech, is ethos, which appeals to the audience's moral or ethical plane.

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