How did Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” spark a revolution? Henry’s speech inspired colonists to rise up against the oppressive Great Britain. In his speech to the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry implores his countrymen to declare war against the British.

What was the effect of Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention?

Historians say that Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech helped convince those in attendance to begin preparing Virginia troops for war against Great Britain.

How did Patrick Henry influence the American Revolution?

Henry helped to construct the state constitution and on June 29, 1776, the Convention elected him the first governor of independent Virginia. The governor used his power during the war to help his friend George Washington, recruiting troops for the cause and sending supplies to Valley Forge during the infamous winter.

What was the significance of Patrick Henry’s speech?

In 1764 Henry was elected to the House of Burgesses, the lower house of the Virginia legislature, where he supported frontier interests against the aristocracy. His speech against the Stamp Act in 1765 asserted the rights of the colonies to make their own laws.

What are the main points of Patrick Henry’s speech?

On March 23rd, 1775, at the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Patrick Henry argued that a volunteer militia should be organized and armed in every county of Virginia to prepare to defend themselves from Great Britain.

What was the importance of the Virginia Convention?

significance to Williamsburg



…on May 15, 1776, the Virginia Convention passed resolutions urging the Continental Congress to declare American independence from Britain.

What is the main idea of the speech to the Virginia Convention?

The speech’s main purpose is to persuade people to fight for their freedom. Patrick Henry’s speech is truly meant to persuade the Virginia Convention to prepare for war if the British government fails to comply to the needs of the convention.

What did Patrick Henry encourage colonists to do?

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry urged his fellow Virginians to support the Revolutionary War effort, supposedly saying “Give me liberty or give me death!”

Who was Patrick Henry and what did he believe about independence?

Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): “Give me liberty, or give me death!” A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia, from 1776 to 1779 and from 1784

What is Patrick Henry attempting to persuade his audience to do?

Patrick Henry was an American Patriot and a member of the Continental Congress. He used both logical and emotional appeals in an attempt to persuade his audience to go to war against Great Britain in 1775.

What is the overall thesis of Patrick Henry’s speech?

In his speech to the Virginia Convention in 1775, Patrick Henry argues that Americans have no choice but to take up arms against the British by reminding the country’s leaders of their failed attempts at securing peace and liberty in the past and by confronting them with their current position of danger in the face of

What was the purpose of Patrick Henry’s speech quizlet?

What was the purpose of Patrick Henry’s speech? To convince the colonists of Virginia to fight against Great Britain.

Why did Patrick Henry make this statement at the Virginia ratifying convention?

This is a speech given by Patrick Henry at the Virginia ratifying convention. Suspicious of centralized authority, Henry opposed the ratification of the proposed Constitution. He said the new system would take away too much power from the state governments and give too much power to the new national government.

What was the effect of the Virginia Resolves?

A direct result of the publishing of the Virginia Resolves was a growing public anger over the Stamp Act and according to several contemporary sources the Resolves were responsible for inciting the Stamp Act Riots.

How does Patrick Henry use pathos in his speech to the Virginia Convention?

Pathos Examples in Speech to the Second Virginia Convention:



With the second iteration of the chain metaphor, Henry emphatically exclaims that the “chains are forged!” He uses an appeal to pathos, amplified by the auditory imagery of the clanking chains, to encourage his audience to revolt.

How does Patrick Henry use ethos in his speech to the Virginia Convention?

By promising to speak “freely” and “without reserve,” Henry appeals to ethos by establishing himself as an honest, straightforward voice. He also establishes a sense of urgency by rejecting ceremoniousness in favor of plain, direct speaking.

What rhetorical strategies does Patrick Henry use in his speech?

Henry uses literary devices (mainly metaphors), rhetorical questions, allusions (classical & Biblical) and parallel structure in the speech. He uses the extended metaphor of slavery.

How does Patrick Henry persuade his audience?

By appealing to religion as he calls upon the “majesty of heaven,” Henry makes an ethical (ethos) appeal that his audience will understand intellectually and emotionally. The Convention members consider themselves to be men of integrity and ethics, as Henry acknowledged in sentence 1.