You can learn a lot about history from the public speeches that shaped this great nation. Whether it is Dr. King encouraging the civil rights movement or President Kennedy inspiring the nation to reach to the moon, public speaking is an important part of the American experience. We will go in-depth from the fiery speech that started the revolution to President Reagan standing at the Berlin Wall taunting the Soviet Union. These speeches span from the birth of a new nation, through a civil war, a great depression, and into an era of a “new birth of freedom.”

In this episode, I cover the Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech by Patrick Henry (March 23, 1775).

In March of 1775, the citizens of the 13 Colonies were divided. They were British citizens and many were patriotic to the Crown. However, in the five years prior to this famous speech by Patrick Henry, the colonies were in turmoil.

The British military spent vast amounts of gold defending the Colonies from other nations, pirates, and Indians. Since the French and Indian war ended in 1763, the British army had set up forts to protect the colonies from incursions from the frontier. King George decided that the Colonists should be responsible for funding these military campaigns. So, he instituted a series of ever-increasing taxes on the Colonists.

Angry townspeople debated in pubs throughout the 13 Colonies. However, the biggest thorn in the side of King George was Massachusetts. The Boston Massacre (1770) and the BostonTea Party (1773.) were a couple of the more famous incidents. A few months before Henry’s famous speech, the First Continental Congress sent a letter of grievances to the King. They were still awaiting a reply.

Then, a few weeks before the speech, the British military marched on Concord to confiscate a cache of weapons from suspected rebels. For the first time, the British military had marched on British citizens in the Colonies. The Second Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia. The delegates were debating whether or not to join the revolution.

Meanwhile, in Richmond, Virginia, local delegates also debated about which side Virginia would back. Would they support the war effort in Massachusetts or would they support the Crown?

Patrick Henry Delivers “Give Me Liberty or Give Death” Speech to Virginia Convention.

Delegates at the Virginia Convention debated both the pros and the cons of the revolution. Some favored British rule. Others favored independence. That is until local attorney Patrick Henry stood to deliver one of the great American speeches of all time. In the assembly were future presidents George Washington and John Adams.

The first written documentation of the full speech took place 41 years later by William Wirt. Wirt created the text based on memories of men who were in the assembly. So it is had to say how accurate the text that we have today actually is. What is a fact though is that after this famous speech, the Virginia delegation because staunch supporters of the American Revolution.

Along with the “shot heard ’round the world” just a few weeks prior, the famous line from this speech became known as the start of the revolution.

For full show notes, visit 

The Greatest Speeches in American History 

https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/the-greatest-speeches-in-american-history-from-revolution-to-leaders-of-the-free-world/