Speech at the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775

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The "Speech at the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775" is Patrick Henry’s famous oration in which he urged armed resistance to British rule and declared, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical document
oration
political speech
addressee delegates of the Second Virginia Convention
associatedEvent American Revolutionary War
surface form: American Revolution
author Patrick Henry
country Colony and Dominion of Virginia
surface form: Colony of Virginia
countryOfCulturalOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
date March 23, 1775
deliveredAt Virginia Convention
surface form: Second Virginia Convention
famousFor "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech
surface form: the phrase “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
genre revolutionary oratory
hasSubject British colonial policy
military preparedness
patriotism
historicalContext tensions preceding the American Revolutionary War
ideology classical liberalism
republicanism
influenced decision of Virginia to mobilize for war
keyQuote “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
“The war is inevitable—and let it come!”
language English
laterPublication published in the early 19th century
movement American independence movement
place St. John’s Church
surface form: St. John’s Church, Richmond, Virginia
politicalEntityAddressed Virginia House of Burgesses delegates
politicalPosition support for independence from Great Britain
preservationStatus text reconstructed from later recollections
purpose to advocate raising and arming a militia in Virginia
to persuade Virginia to prepare for war against Great Britain
region British America
surface form: British North America
rhetoricalDevice antithesis
appeal to emotion
biblical allusion
parallelism
rhetorical questions
rhetoricalStyle persuasive oratory
speaker Patrick Henry
studiedIn American history courses
rhetoric and communication courses
topic American colonial resistance to British rule
call for armed resistance
liberty
natural rights
self-defense
year 1775

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Patrick Henry notableWork Speech at the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775