Patrick Henry Speech

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Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
1. Context
2. Synopsis “Give me liberty or give me death” is a well-known line from a speech given by Patrick Henry on March 23rd, 1775. (“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”). Patrick Henry was a man who had grown tired of waiting for the so-called liberty America had promised to bring. For the opening of his speech, Henry recognized the men who opposed him, and made it clear his opinions were not to be thought of as disrespectful. He spoke in a matter of urgency, and told his audience he could no longer hold back his thoughts because he believed it would equal to that of treason towards his country. He then proceeds to ask the current president rhetorical questions about the illusions of false hope. According …show more content…
In almost every form of figurative language that was used, Henry would seem to portray the British as deceitful and misleading. He wanted to establish the British could no longer be trusted, and they were only feeding the colonies false hope. To reel in the audience even more, Henry uses more figurative language to refer to biblical verses and scriptures. Because the colonists were so devoted to their religion, they often used biblical references to come off as more relatable. With all this being said, Patrick Henry knew how to evoke certain emotions from his listeners, and this is why his speech turned out to be so …show more content…
His speech is said to be one of the most eloquent speeches ever to be delivered in American history. The impact of Henry’s words swayed the members of the Virginia convention to pass a resolution that would send troops for the upcoming war. Not only did this shed light on Virginia, but also the remaining colonies throughout the nation. Patrick Henry’s speech sparked the fire needed for the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which was the precursor the American Revolution. Moreover, it inspired many to act out on their oppressions against Great Britain. This speech has shown the true importance of speaking out when liberties and freedoms are being
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