...Give Me Liberty! “Give me liberty or give me death”. Patrick Henry was an inspiring figure in the Revolutionary times. At this moment in history, many higher ups did not want war with the mother country, but Henry on the other hand did. At the Second Virginia Convention, Henry stood up for what he believed in and delivered a speech that would change history. Although he used logos and ethos, Patrick Henry's outstanding use of pathos in his speech allowed him to convince his fellow delegates, because he provoked emotion from his audience. Patrick Henry needs support from his fellow delegates to go to war against the British. He utilizes fear tactics against his audience to draw emotion and personal connection. We see this when he says “But...
Words: 303 - Pages: 2
...There have been various occasions where history has been altered dramatically. Of all the state of affairs, Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention stands as the greatest alteration. This great change was to win the liberty for him and the representatives. Within the speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry had accomplished the desire to persuade the colonist in making a stand against Britain through a series of rhetorical techniques. These techniques consisted of many allusions, rhetorical questions, use of repetition and imagery. Patrick Henry utilized allusion during his speech to connect with the representatives. An example of this technique would be when he refers to the story of the Odyssey. “...listen to the song...
Words: 608 - Pages: 3
...Mary A. Dao English 3P, Period 1 Ms. Alba 2nd November, 2015 Early American Ideas: Patrick Henry It is how people treat their peers, human nature. The human nature that can be found in Americans is like no other. The American is a strong, proud, and passionate man. Mr. Patrick Henry seems to have proved the previous statement quite accurately with his logical and emotional appeal. For example, Henry states “Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.”( ¶ 3 Page 2). This quote explains Henry’s definition of human nature, where he thinks that all American’s have the ability to come up and fight together against any enemy in their path....
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine and Ronald Reagan all share fairly similar styles in their writing, especially through the speeches they gave. While giving their speeches and other pieces of writing they published, they were very successful in persuading their audience to accommodate for the change that needed to be made during the time. Despite them sharing all successful forms of persuasion, they most commonly adapted to the emotional aspect, also known as pathos. In Patrick Henry’s speech most commonly known as “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” he expresses a lot of emotion when trying to persuade the president to agree with his purpose. Henry’s purpose was to gain independence in the colonies by going to war with Great Britain, who had...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...Famous for his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech that he gave in 1775, Patrick Henry had a huge impact on the Revolutionary War in many different ways, but his most known call to action was his outstanding and mesmerizing speech. Henry played huge role in America’s resistance to the English. Being the Governor of Virginia, he contributed a great amount in the making of the war. In fact, Henry played such a leadership role in preparation for the fighting, that historians today refer to him as the “Sword of the War.” Even as a young man, Henry was known to stand up against the English’s policies due to his protesting against the Stamp Act. However, this was only the beginning of his resistance to the French for this rebellion would in time lead up to his incredible leadership in promoting the Revolutionary War and the life changing speech that he gave. Using nothing but his words, Henry motivated the colonists to fight by explaining his thoughts without being disrespectful and showing them what would happen if they were to hold back. Henry’s speech was one of the greatest deciding factors that led the colonies into war, and, for this reason, it is still one of the most important speeches that has ever been given. What was so important that pushed Henry to give his speech? When Henry gave his speech in the third Virginia convention, his number one goal was to cause the other men, who were the ones in charge of the thirteen colonies, to agree with his beliefs in that...
Words: 1098 - Pages: 5
...In 1775 Patrick Henry had given his famous speech at the Virginia Convention. His speech was a persuading speech, he tried getting the listening audience to join him, and fight Great Britain. Twelve years later Benjamin Franklin came along giving his own speech simply known as Convention speech. His speech was also a persuading speech. Which showed he didn’t fully agree with the constitution, but turns out to agree with it for the sake of the public. Although both Patrick Henry, and Benjamin Franklin are trying to convince others to either fight or accept something, they had their differences. Both Patrick Henry, and Benjamin Franklin wanted separation from Great Britain. Both thought about how they can get the colonist who were against leaving...
Words: 323 - Pages: 2
...In the “Speech to the Virginia Convention”(1775), Patrick Henry convinced colonist to start a war against Britain by using rhetorical devices. Henry used imagery to help him persuade and show the colonist that they were shutting their eyes to what the British were doing. He used allusion to emphasize that the colonist were being blinded by comparing them to other people in a famous story they knew. Henry used parallelism to emphasize his point by repeating what he said. He also used rhetorical questions so that he could give the colonist a question they would know the answer to and also so they could think about it. Henry used many rhetorical devices and in the end they helped him convince the colonist to go to war against Britain. Patrick...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...Convince Me Not What strikes more in the heart of the people, fear or freedom? Patrick Henry writes, “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” (4) He speaks at the Virginia Convention to convince the delegates that the war with Britain is inevitable and they should not wait to act. He appeals to the people mainly through biblical allusions, something heavily waited in the hearts of the Americans and greatly persuasive in his points. He uses rhetorical questions to make the people reflect on their future based on the actions they decide on today. Jonathan Edwards pushes at a different angle in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he is not passionately fighting for what he wants; he speaks calmly with warning of the terrible fate sinners have...
Words: 1054 - Pages: 5
...women were granted rights, there still hasn’t been true equality. America was founded on the idea that everyone should be free and have inalienable rights, so what went wrong? Two hundred and forty one years ago, Patrick Henry was getting the fight for independence and freedom started. He was strong in believing that people’s rights should be protected and that people should not be oppressed. Henry was able to recognize that Britain was an oppressing force....
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775 along with Thomas Paine’s “Common sense” pamphlet in 1776 greatly influenced the ideas of American colonists when they began questioning their role in the empire of England. The declaration of resolves of the first continental congress in 1774 and the declaration of independence, devised in 1776 had the same effect on these American Colonists. About a year after the declaration, the articles of confederation were published as the first actual constitution, having it’s own effect on personal feelings of colonists. On one hand, the American colonists had a self government which could have influenced their mindset during the 17th through 18th century. On the other hand, a speech by Patrick Henry, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, two different declarations, and the articles of confederation all lead up to questioning in terms of authority in the empire of England and are what truly caused the mindset of American colonists to change. In March 1775, at the third Virginia convention, held in St. John's Church in Richmond, Patrick Henry gave his iconic “give me liberty or give me death” speech to discuss the latest relations with Great Britain. During Henry’s speech, he states "There is no longer any room for hope. 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...
Words: 1606 - Pages: 7
...The effectiveness of a speech depends on how the orator uses persuasive techniques. In The Speech in the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry uses persuasive techniques of emotion and logic to urge colonists to fight for their independence from Britain. Emotion or pathos is a powerful technique that can enrage or calm the audience. Patrick Henry uses this idea effectively by trying to invoke the audience’s sense of fear and desire when he says “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!” The fear of being enslaved by the British makes the audience wary of all the cruel actions that have been done to the colonists by the British. The sense of desire for a life without chains...
Words: 854 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 928 - Pages: 4
...George Washington Shaped America into Greatness Amanda Villeso American History Mr. David 4-24-17 “Give me liberty or give me death”(“Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” Speech.”). George Washington definitely applied this saying when fighting in the Revolutionary War. Washington being called the Father of His Country has done many wonderful things for everyone. Being the leader of the Patriots, he had lived a successful and long life. Thomas Jefferson said “On the whole, his character was, in its mass, perfect, in nothing bad, in a few points indifferent; and it may truly be said that never did a nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great…” (“Revolutionary-War.net.” “Greatest Stories Ever Told”) To think it all started here and in the end people like Jefferson would be saying things like this about him. George Washington’s family, education, and military career has helped America become a better country for all....
Words: 1853 - Pages: 8
...Deism ran a secular government that was based on freedom. In Patrick Henry’s speech, Speech to the Virginia Convention, he stresses the idea of freedom and says to “give [him] liberty or give [him] death” (Henry 126). He is willing to die for liberty. This was huge with deism because they believed in free will. They believed that Britain was running the colonies with too much power. Government was more like an experiment for deist. In Thomas Jefferson’s Autobiography of the Declaration of Independence, if a government was not good enough for the people, deist believed that “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government" (Jefferson ). One of the fundamental deistic beliefs was to give power to the people. Jefferson states that once a government fails, the people should take it...
Words: 769 - Pages: 4
