Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1775

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Background

Historical Context: Colonial America

Great Britain established its first American colony in 1607 and maintained imperial rule over American settlers until the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the years leading up to the Declaration, King George III and Parliament ruled in ways that the colonists viewed as unjust; “taxation without representation,” or the imposition of taxes like the Stamp Act and the Tea Act on colonists who lacked parliamentary seats, was a particular sticking point. Colonial resistance to these taxes prompted crackdowns that further inflamed tensions, including the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Coercive (or “Intolerable”) Acts of 1774. Among other things, the latter curtailed self-government in Massachusetts and required local authorities to provide housing for British soldiers (the “Quartering Act”). The 1774 First Continental Congress protested this state of affairs but did not yet vote for independence. It planned to meet again, but by the time it did so, the Revolution had already begun.

Henry delivered his speech after the First Continental Congress but before the outbreak of hostilities—a period during which events were unfolding very quickly. Henry’s urgent tone reflects this reality, and his contrasting depiction of Freedom Versus Tyranny taps into the colonies’ growing unrest. His emphasis on unity and collective action would anticipate the Second Continental Congress and the drafting of the United States Constitution.

The religious background of the colonies also informs Henry’s speech. Many of the earliest British settlers—specifically, the Puritans—came to America in pursuit of religious freedom: They felt the Church of England was corrupt, and sought to establish their own religious community. Though not all of Henry’s listeners would have adhered to Puritan beliefs (or, indeed, Christianity broadly), the idea that the colonies enjoyed a special spiritual purpose or destiny was baked into their founding and deeply embedded in the colonial psyche. Consequently, Henry’s references to Divine Providence and God’s support of colonial independence would likely have resonated even with the audience’s nonbelievers.

Historical Context: Second Virginia Convention

The Second Virginia Convention was the second of five conventions in which colonial leaders met in Virginia to discuss the relationship between England and the colonies. These conventions were, in part, a response to Britain’s dissolution of Virginia’s governing body, the House of Burgesses, when it expressed sympathy for the Bostonians who had recently had their harbor closed in punishment. During the First Virginia Convention, in 1774, attendees elected Peyton Randolph as president and encouraged colonists to avoid using British imports and to limit the number of goods exported to Britain.

The Second Virginia Convention convened in March of 1775 in response to the growing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, which escalated after the passage of the 1774 Coercive Acts. The Convention’s leaders wanted to coordinate a response to the British government’s actions and to assert the rights of the colonies. The Convention brought together some of the most prominent leaders of the time, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.

The Second Virginia Convention took several actions, voting to raise a militia to defend the colonies against Britain and authorizing the purchase of arms and ammunition. They also sent delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to advocate for independence. The Convention’s actions laid the foundation for Virginia’s role in the Revolutionary War and the eventual founding of the United States. Henry’s speech, which he delivered at the Second Virginia Convention, serves as a microcosm of these effects. At the time, many colonists still hesitated to break with Britain and declare independence. Henry’s words Justifying Revolution galvanized support for the cause and became one of the catalysts for the American Revolution.