Patrick Henry: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

excerpt from "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at the truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Valenti, Mark D. "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death (The War Inevitable) by Patrick Henry (March 23 1775)". April 16, 2008. http://www.liberty-page.com/foundingdocs/givemeliberty/main.html.

REFLECTION: Henry is a very respectful man, at least in his speeches. He makes it clear that he is in no way conceited or forcing his opinions on others, but he conveys his message of urgency just the same. He acknowledges that his ideas are not the only ones. Henry was smart enough to know that this appealed to the listener and convinced them he was worth listening to. I would really like to know if he was at all successful, but history has never been my forte. I love how he throws patriotism in as a reason for speaking his opinion; and he is correct, to me. If he did not bring to light what others may not have seen, results would ultimately be somewhat his fault. His speech was also very well written, to me. It contained magnitudes of thought. I notice his reference to God several times; I do wonder how much Puritans influenced Patrick Henry's era?

DEAR DIARY: Today, I stood before the leaders of my country and spoke. My once unstoppable mouth for once yearned to remain closed, but I fought it, for I feel it is my duty to alert my country; to urge them to choose the right path before another one chooses them. The development of this country has prospered fairly despite the conflicts, and I would hate to see its downfall. Although I do not harbor all the answers, I would forever feel guilty and undeserving of freedom if I did not point out the possible ones. The concepts that clearly come to me may not ever enter the head of our leaders; it is up to each citizen to make known what is right. After all, our faithful leaders are human as well; we must not over nor under estimate them. If war is the answer, let it be. ---Patrick

LOGOS/ETHOS/PATHOS: Patrick Henry uses all three elements in this particular speech. He refers to logic numerous times, for example "I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate". Ethos is also very prevalent, and it is the first thing noticed by the audience. Henry begins by humbling himself and respectfully addressing those whose attention he must captivate. Emotional language can also be seen in the speech, but not quite to the degree as logic and ethics. His tone of urgency and loyalty earn him influence over his listeners, and therefore also the ability to almost manipulate their feelings through his words.

The Question Is...What impact did the decisions and cultures of those who began the American community have on today's modern community setting and life as we know it?: Had no one spoken up and had America not fought for freedom, today's communities and customs might not have existed at all. All these "dead guys" we always complain about learning about fought our most difficult battle for us. It ultimately shaped American society.