250th Anniversary of "Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death!"

March 5, 2025 - "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" These impacting words were first spoken by Patrick Henry 250 years ago on March 23rd, 1775 at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia during the Second Virginia Convention. As Patrick Henry was urging the colony of Virginia to organize a volunteer company of cavalry or infantry in every Virginia county to begin preparing troops in the colony for war against one of the world's biggest powerhouses of the time, Great Britain.

To raise arms against the king during the times of colonial America was an act of treason. As 18th century laws specified that "If a man do levy war against our lord the king in his realm" it was an act of high treason. With the punishment for committing high treason against the king of England at the time being "That the offender be drawn to the gallows, and not be carried or walk;" and that the offending party then "be hanged by the neck and then cut down alive" so "that his entrails be taken out and burned, while he is yet alive". And to further compound the matter, the offender's punishment also included "that his head be cut off, his body be divided in four parts, and that his head and quarters be at the king's disposal."

Aware that some hot-headed sorts might be willing to risk their own lives against the king for a cause that they deemed worthy, the punishment for high treason did not end with the person who committed high treason. Rather, the laws of the time period also specified that aside from a punishment of death, the offender was forced to give all their lands and property to the state in a type of forfeiture. With the forfeiture applying to the "corruption of blood" which meant that even the person's immediate family and hereditary heirs were prohibited from owning the offender's property or conducting business. Consequently, those who committed high treason against the king risked not only the ruin of their own lives, but the ruin of the lives of their families, forever.

It was exactly this type of punishment that Patrick Henry was urging his fellow Virginians to risk on March 23rd, 1775 in his passionate speech. A call to arms that he made in the presence of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other luminaries of the American Revolution. Consequently, when Patrick Henry concluded his speech he was met with silence for several minutes, afterwards. Yet, his speech was so impactful that it is credited with helping sway the balance at the convention in favor of passing a resolution delivering Virginian troops for what would become the American Revolutionary War. And Edward Carrington, who overheard Patrick Henry's speech by listening through a window and later served in the American Revolution, was so affected by Patrick Henry's speech that he requested to be buried there. A wish which was granted to him in 1810.

Oddly enough, since Patrick Henry, who later was also influential in the wording of the Bill of Rights to the American Constitution, delivered his famous "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech without notes and no transcripts of his speech were taken at the time; his famous address was reconstructed by Henry's biographer, William Wirt in 1817. With William Wirt, who was three years of age at the time Patrick Henry delivered his inspiring address, reconstructing Patrick Henry's speech from notes and conversations with people who were present at the time it was delivered. With the father of Chief Justice John Marshall, Thomas Marshall, describing Patrick Henry's speech as "one of the boldest, vehement, and animated pieces of eloquence that had ever been delivered."

In modernity, since Patrick Henry's speech was reconstructed after the fact, some historians have tried to claim that Patrick Henry didn't state the famous last lines of his call to arms. However, the famous classical composer, Handel, in his 1746 oratorio "Judas Maccabeus" includes the hero singing "Resolve, my sons, on liberty or death." And in Act II, Scene 4 of the play, "Cato, a Tragedy" which was very popular during the time period and even performed at Valley Forge, the line is included which states "It is not now time to talk of aught but chains or conquest, liberty or death." Therefore, it is more than likely that Patrick Henry's famous last lines were indeed passionately delivered by him on that fateful day in St. John's Church.

Since March 23rd of this year marks the 250th Anniversary of Patrick Henry's world changing speech, the State of Virginia and St. John's Church will be hosting a reenactment of his famous speech from the exact location where it took place that will be livestreamed at 1:30PM on March 23rd. With 1:30PM being the exact time of day that historians estimate that Patrick Henry delivered his inspiring and passionate address. The livestreaming link to attend the 250th Anniversary of Patrick Henry's speech is found on VA250.org.

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.