Patrick Henry speech rhetorical Précis

The Most Powerful Patriot

In his persuasive speech, Speech to the Virginia Convention, representative Patrick Henry

proclaimed that it was finally time for the Americans to fully engage in war with the British.

Henry expressed his views through rhetorical questions, appeal to pathos through metaphors, and

his displayed patriotic tone throughout the speech. Henry employs these techniques in order to

inspire his companions within the House of Burgess to go to war against the tyrannical British

crown.

Henry primarily exemplifies his desire to fight by asking the audience questions which he

then answers himself. Through doing so, Henry is able to implement a fighting spirit within the

Crowd. Such is exemplified when Henry claims that Britain has sent their armies for no other

purpose than to “force” the colonists into “submission” and when asking the members of the

house if there is another people the British could have sent the army for, he answers himself- “no

sir, she has none. They are meant for us.” Through doing this Henry instills within the listeners

that they are obligated to fight, as the strongest militia in the world has been sent specifically for

them. He establishes that the enemies are already upon them, and should the Americans not

choose to fight they will be “forced” into submission, making it clear that fighting is the only

option.

Furthermore Henry employs the use of metaphors to appeal to the other representatives

through pathos. Henry exclaims: “our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the

plains of Boston”. Henry is declaring that the war has already begun, the colonists will be

shackled and chained should they not choose to fight. Essentially, Henry attempts (and succeeds
in) to promote fear within the representatives. He wants them, and gets them, to be scared for

their freedom and recognize that they only way to prevent “submission and slavery” is through

war.

Finally, Henry ingrains a patriotic tone throughout the entirety of his speech. He not only

thinks war is the answer, he makes war seem like his desire. “The war is inevitable… let it

come!” Henry even goes as far as calming he would give his life to the war- “give me liberty, or

give me death!” Through these declarations of war, Henry essentially gives birth to the patriotic

spirit. By standing up to these men of power, and proclaiming to give his life to keep them from

being enslaved, he ignites a unity amongst the listeners. He declares himself, and the rest of

them, as part of a greater cause which they must be willing to fight and die for- and his

declaration is successful. Such is due to his patriotic tone.

Patrick Henry’s ability to rally the House of Burgess and engage the American people in

war was due to his employment of strategic and successful techniques. In his speech Patrick

Henry explains why we must fight the British, or as he puts it- “give me liberty or give me

death.”