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Essay on Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

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“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” by Patrick Henry

Althia Giles

201240 Fall 2012 HIUS 221-D54 LUO
Ms. Catherine Hardee
November 12, 2012

“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” by Patrick Henry

Henry’s Speech Was a Call to Action. What Did He Want His Fellow Virginians To Do? What Were His Justifications For The Proposed Action? How Did Henry Address The Concerns Of Those Who Did Not Agree With Him?

At the Second Virginia Convention held on 23rd March, 1775 in St. John’s Church, Richmond Virginia, Patrick Henry stood and addressed his fellow delegates regarding the defense and arming of Virginia State.[1] While some delegated supported the reconciliation with …show more content…

Through the use of the image of slavery, Henry managed to paint a clear picture of how the situation was, therefore, making it easier for him to emphasize the need for America’s independence. Also, Henry uses a change in the volume of his voice in his video speech to appeal to the emotions of his fellow delegates. Henry begins his speech in a normal tone of voice, but throughout the video, his voice gradually gets louder with time, and in the end, he shouts his concluding line, “give me liberty, or give me death!”[4] This gradual volume change in Henry’s voice enabled him to appeal to the feelings of his audience effectively, and eventually emphasize on his message of fighting for liberty.

At the beginning of Henry’s speech, he was aware of the fact that not every delegate supported his idea of fighting British rule; some wanted America to make peace and reconciliation with Britain. He politely acknowledged “different men often see the same subject in different lights”[5] and that his aim was to express his sentiments unreservedly regarding the debate on whether Americans should fight for their freedom or remain enslaved by the British rule. Henry hoped his fellow delegates would not see his sentiments as disrespectful. He also told his audience that they had a responsibility towards America and God to seek the truth and that if he held back his opinions for fear of offending others; he would be

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