Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!

[Warlord]

Can you imagine a speech this stirring in the House today? Incredible.

Patrick Henry's historic speech dramatized during the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Give me liberty or give me death..." rang out on March 23, 1775. Cherish those words and the tremendous courage of the man who in speaking them knew his life could be forfeit as a result. Taken from the 22 minute short film from 1936 "Give Me Liberty" which starred John Litel as Patrick Henry

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHo-3LEcgQE

 

[RonZeplin]

An excellent performance of a great speech.

 

[Warlord]

An excellent performance of a great speech.

We need to see oratory and passion like that to wake up the people just like Patrick Henry did in 1775.

 

[Voluntarist]

From Cato by Joseph Addison, a popular play at the time:

Act II, Scene 4
It is not now time to talk of aught
But chains or conquest, liberty or death

Cherish those words and the tremendous courage of the man who in speaking them knew his life could be forfeit as a result.

That's the main takeaway I recall from what I was taught in public school; and I've learned to be skeptical about anything the public schools tried to indoctrinate me with. The words of Henry's speech were never transcribed; and so, were never going to reach the King except as hearsay (in contrast to the signers of the Declaration of Independence: most of whose names are unfamiliar to us all). And like most of Henry's oratory (according to Thomas Jefferson), though rousing when spoken, the content could seldom be recalled afterwards. So Henry always had the excuse that he was merely paraphrasing from a popular play, one in which George III, himself, had acted in his youth prior to assuming the monarchy.

But as for rousing oratory, yeah, it works. Plus it's added torture for those convicts in New Hampshire who have to press those license plates while being imprisoned.

Maybe that's what's most important for the movement though - stirring oratory ... the kind that Bill Clinton and Barack Obama used to stir their followers. Maybe just a catchy phrase.

 

[CCTelander]

A modern day version would have to include the caveat: "Unless, like, I might get sick or something. Or have to get off my ass to do anything other than maybe cast a ballot, but I might even be able to do that by mail so..."

 

[Voluntarist]

I think the quote that Patrick Henry should be most remembered and admired for is, "I smell a rat!"