...Truth Inspires Change In Patrick Henry’s speech, “Speech to the Virginia Convention”, and Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, they address different audiences with the same goal: to inspire change within their respective societies. Henry, the politician, and Edwards, the preacher, have different views and backgrounds, but both address the audiences with the ultimate hope of them accepting the reality of his or her situation. In the speech by Patrick Henry and the sermon by Jonathan Edwards, both Henry and Edwards use various rhetorical devices to expose truth that exhorts a shift of mind and heart. Though Henry and Edwards use...
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...Patrick Henry, born in Hanover County, Virginia in 1736. Grew up to be an American attorney who spoke at the Virginia convention on March 20, 1775 which people recognize as the “give me liberty or give me death!” speech. Henry persuaded the Virginia Legislation by showing that he was not going to just sit and watch his country be terrorized rather he must work on making America an independent state so that his children will not suffer after he passes. Henry spoke about fighting the British to gain independence for the United States. So listen in on how that went down in the Virginia Convention of 1775. This is where America needed to fight. As Henry states “This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment...
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...Patrick Henry was one of the greatest speakers of all time. He was able to reach his audience in a very effective way. He could move his audience to anger, fear, or laughter very easily. In fact, he was the most powerful orator of the American Revolution. One of his most effective speeches during that time was “Speech in the Virginia Convention” where he stated his famous quote “Give me liberty or give me death”. He was trying to impart a very important message to his audience through that speech. He was seeking a great change to happen that required one to have strength and courage, as well as unity within the colonies; he wanted liberty. Patrick Henry was determined to gain independence and break free from the British. He wanted to change...
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...Patrick Henry was born on May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia. He was the second of nine children. He didn't go to school, but he was thoroughly taught by his father and uncle. His father was John Winston Henry; an immigrant from Scotland. Henry’s parents worshiped at different churches. This had a strong impact on his character and political views. Since his parents practiced different religions, he fused both together more modern views with old fashioned views, to create his own neutral perspectives. Patrick Henry was a lawyer, patriot, and politician. He participated in almost every aspect of founding America. Henry married Sarah Shelton in 1754, and then Dorothea Dandridge in 1777, following Sarah’s Death. He had seventeen children...
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...Delegate, Patrick Henry, in his speech, “give me liberty or give me death,” persuades the colonies to start a rebellion against Britain for independence. Henry’s purpose is to convince the men at the convention by flattering them first then argue that fighting for liberty is the only option that will work. He adopts a patriotic tone in order to produce a spark of rebellion in the minds of the other delegates. Henry begins his argument to the convention delegates by acknowledging the man who spoke before him and told how people have different viewpoints on subjects. He appeals to the respect of his fellow men of the convention by admitting they were very worthy and had very good viewpoint on the subject. Appeal to their respect in order to...
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...citizens and enforcing laws that were taking away Americans freedoms. The leaders of America were constantly arguing as to how to face the issue. Many people believed that they should just comply to the demands of King George and attempt to come to a peaceful agreement. However, there were several people that believed that the only way to get their right back was through an entirely opposite route: Revolution. Patrick Henry was one of those people. Patrick Henry was a firm supporter of American Independence, and was always vocal about his opinion on the matter. In 1774, Henry was chosen to attend the First Continental Congress as a Virginia delegate. It was at that meeting that Patrick Henry told the other delegates that war was already upon them, and the revolution had already begun. It was there that, on March 23, 1775, he captured the Spirit of Revolution, and inspired men and women with a single phrase that would be known to everyone for centuries to come. It was there that Patrick Henry historically declared: “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Patrick Henry’s speech that day swayed the minds of the men at that meeting, and persuaded them of the...
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...In the speech, “Speech in the Virginia Convention” created in March 23, 1775; Patrick Henry had the difficult task of convincing loyalist colonists to fight against the throne in order to gain their freedom and independence. Henry uses several rhetorical strategies in his speech to convince the colonists such as rhetorical questions, metaphors, and imagery throughout his speech which made him successful in persuading his fellow colonists to fight for their freedom. Patrick Henry uses rhetorical questions throughout his speech to get the Virginia Convention to think of the obvious and wrong doings that England has done to them in order to get the loyalists on his side. “Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be...
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...Without Patrick Henry the americans would have not formed a militia and have had the stamp act repealed. Patrick Henry's speeches have a big impact on events involved in the revolutionary war, because of his words of wisdom and knowledge the Americans had a voice and began to prepare for the Revolutionary War. Patrick Henry was born in Virginia on May 29, 1736. When Patrick Henry was a young boy he never took anything seriously. His parents knew that he wasn't going to become a farmer so they began to educate him. He ended not taking his studies seriously. When he was fifteen he began to work at a local merchant. Which later led him and his brother William to open up a store which ended up failing. At the age of eighteen he had no career and married sixteen year old Sarah Shelton. At the age of twenty-one his father set up a business for him which once again failed. After failing with a store twice he decided to help his father-in-law at Hanover Tavern which was across the street from the county courthouse.This caused him...
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...On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry, the former governor of Virginia, proposed an idea of his to the Virginia Convention, regarding the American colonies’ conflict between them and the British tyranny. Henry persuaded these people and informed them at they needed to go to war to solve their problems if Britain did not meet their demands, by respectfully introducing his views on the situation. At the time, everyone else wanted to peacefully end their conflict, but Henry thought that the only answer, is to go to war and take their demands by force. Henry portrays his views through the use of repetition and allusion. Patrick Henry was not afraid to express his love for his religion, especially throughout his speech. Henry uses a substantial amount...
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...Persuasion is a technique that aims to move an audience and grab their attention. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention are influential arguments about independence that gain America’s attention. The two pieces compare and contrast in persuasive techniques. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson both provide the colonists with reasons to declare their independence. At the same time, Henry urges his audience to unite and join the war against Britain while Jefferson encourages more peaceful tactics to gain independence. Patrick Henry wants the colonists to stand up and fight for what they believe in in order to win their independence. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, does not believe it matters what...
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...Henry The main purpose of henrys speech is to persuade the colonists to enter war against Britain. In "speech in the Virginia convention" that he must take a speak out against England to be true patriot. Henry emotions shows in his appeals, “The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come! " To establish a sense of ethos, in other words, credibility, Patrick Henry writes of himself, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience." He states that he has the necessary experience to judge the British throne because he has been watching and observing them for the last 10 years. Henry tries to evoke a sense of pathos in his listeners. He says, “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a...
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...Patrick Henry’s Speech Rhetorical Analysis Lawyer and politician, Patrick Henry, in his speech to the Virginia Convention, describes the dire situation the American Colonists have faced with their homeland, Great Britain, in the past few years. The House of Burgesses was firmly against starting a war with Britain, but Henry urged the House members to rouse a militia to fight the British Army. Henry’s speech is full of imagery, allusions, and pathos that reflect the education and income level of the audience and support his claim that Americans needed to fight for their freedom from Britain. Use of Allusions The principal thing Henry did when giving his discourse has he complimented his adversaries, so as to pick up their appreciation and...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “ A man dies when he refuses to stand up for which is right.” His words, and beliefs impacted the entire world as he took a stand against racism. This encouraged thousands of people to take a stand in their own communities. This shows it is appropriate to take a stand when the rules have an adverse impact on your life. The people or community make up a large part of everyday life. When the community is negatively affected by the laws placed on them it calls for action. In Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, he acknowledges that his people were threatened with war and slavery by the British. He stands against the British to save his country saying, “Should I keep back my opinions of such time...I should consider myself guilty of treason towards my country.” (Henry) In other words, If she...
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...How Patrick Henry Moved People with His Speech What is one major factor of a speech that conveys their message to the audience? Most of the time, it is logic that really gets into the people’s minds. Logos is a major part of Patrick Henry’s influential speech, “Speech to the Virginia Convention.” In 1775 Patrick Henry attended the second Virginia Convention and had proposed a way to raise militia to put Virginia in a state of defense. Other delegates insisted otherwise, Henry’s impromptu speech really turned their ideas around. Patrick Henry best demonstrated logos to inform his audience of what America was coming to under the rule of Britain and how we needed to declare independence. Patrick Henry decides to use facts to wake up the people of America that were willing to continue to subject themselves to Britain’s rule. During his speech, he talks about preparations Britain is making to take the newly founded United States to war. “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these war-like preparations which cover our waters and darken our land” (Henry qtd. In “Give Me”). The colonist have risked their whole lives for a new beginning- war would ruin it all. The logic behind war and the aftermath of...
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...colonies cannot win. But Patrick Henry feels otherwise. He argues that despite being massively outnumbered, the colonies have a force that will tip the scales in their favor. The power of God. In his “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” Henry pushes the delegates to support war by weaving in biblical references and declaring that America has holy backing, in an attempt to portray the revolution as holy struggle for liberty. One way he reveals the holiness of the American cause is by comparing the colonies to Jesus and the early christians. Henry warns the delegates against being people who “having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not” when it comes to British oppression (3). In Jeremiah 5:21 this phrase was used to refer to non-christians — those who despite having eyes and ears, were blind to glory of God. This masterfully implies that those against war are like those non-believers, blind to the holy miracle that is occurring in front of them. It also compares the revolutionaries to the original followers of Jesus, because they are the minority that sees what is actually happening, and are fighting for a righteous cause. Building on this comparison, he warns the delegates that Britain will “[betray] them with a kiss,” referencing the kiss that Judas gave to Jesus immediately before betraying him (5). By comparing the British to the Judas, he warns the delegates...
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