Patrick Henry (1736 – 1799) was an American revolutionary leader, lawyer, and orator best known for his speech declaring "Give me liberty, or give me death!". A Founding Father, he played a crucial role in Virginia’s push for independence and served as the state’s first and sixth governor.
Born in Hanover County, Virginia, Henry received little formal education but became a self-taught lawyer. His defense of colonial rights in the Parson’s Cause case (1763) launched his political career. Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, he fiercely opposed British taxation, becoming a leading voice against the Stamp Act. His fiery rhetoric made him one of the revolution’s most passionate advocates.
In 1775, at the Second Virginia Convention, Henry’s speech urging military resistance against Britain solidified his status as a revolutionary icon. He helped draft Virginia’s Declaration of Rights and served five terms as governor. A vocal critic of a strong central government, he opposed ratifying the U.S. Constitution, fearing it lacked protections for individual liberties.
Despite owning enslaved people, Henry expressed opposition to slavery yet took no concrete steps toward abolition. He spent his later years practicing law and advising political leaders. Remembered as one of America’s greatest orators, his words continue to inspire the ideals of liberty and self-governance.