Henry overcame so many challenges to get to where he is today, becoming an outstanding citizen, lawyer, and politician. Patrick Henry came from an ordinary family, living in an ordinary town, but became an extraordinary driving force in American History. He faced few challenges once a lawyer and politician, but he crossed many paths in his early years. He tried being a farmer with no success then a store owner with more failure, then taught to be a lawyer. With no formal law training he managed to pass the law exams which was not an easy task. From there he only proved himself more and more what a great asset he was to the American Freedom Movement. Another great challenge Henry faced was the slow decline of his first wife Sarah, who suffered from a mental illness. She had given him six children and suffered from puerperal psychosis. This was not only a emotional and mental challenge, but it caused him to step away from politics for a while right in the thick of the Pre-American Revolution madness. This was hard for Henry because he wanted to be more of an influence on the American people. Even his wife's death didn't stop him from further preparing the people for a war, he set up a small Hanover County militia while he was mourning her