...Patrick Henry was one of the greatest speakers of all time. He was able to reach his audience in a very effective way. He could move his audience to anger, fear, or laughter very easily. In fact, he was the most powerful orator of the American Revolution. One of his most effective speeches during that time was “Speech in the Virginia Convention” where he stated his famous quote “Give me liberty or give me death”. He was trying to impart a very important message to his audience through that speech. He was seeking a great change to happen that required one to have strength and courage, as well as unity within the colonies; he wanted liberty. Patrick Henry was determined to gain independence and break free from the British. He wanted to change...
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...Persuasion is a technique that aims to move an audience and grab their attention. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention are influential arguments about independence that gain America’s attention. The two pieces compare and contrast in persuasive techniques. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson both provide the colonists with reasons to declare their independence. At the same time, Henry urges his audience to unite and join the war against Britain while Jefferson encourages more peaceful tactics to gain independence. Patrick Henry wants the colonists to stand up and fight for what they believe in in order to win their independence. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, does not believe it matters what...
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...Patrick Henry’s Speech Rhetorical Analysis Lawyer and politician, Patrick Henry, in his speech to the Virginia Convention, describes the dire situation the American Colonists have faced with their homeland, Great Britain, in the past few years. The House of Burgesses was firmly against starting a war with Britain, but Henry urged the House members to rouse a militia to fight the British Army. Henry’s speech is full of imagery, allusions, and pathos that reflect the education and income level of the audience and support his claim that Americans needed to fight for their freedom from Britain. Use of Allusions The principal thing Henry did when giving his discourse has he complimented his adversaries, so as to pick up their appreciation and...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “ A man dies when he refuses to stand up for which is right.” His words, and beliefs impacted the entire world as he took a stand against racism. This encouraged thousands of people to take a stand in their own communities. This shows it is appropriate to take a stand when the rules have an adverse impact on your life. The people or community make up a large part of everyday life. When the community is negatively affected by the laws placed on them it calls for action. In Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, he acknowledges that his people were threatened with war and slavery by the British. He stands against the British to save his country saying, “Should I keep back my opinions of such time...I should consider myself guilty of treason towards my country.” (Henry) In other words, If she...
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...colonies cannot win. But Patrick Henry feels otherwise. He argues that despite being massively outnumbered, the colonies have a force that will tip the scales in their favor. The power of God. In his “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” Henry pushes the delegates to support war by weaving in biblical references and declaring that America has holy backing, in an attempt to portray the revolution as holy struggle for liberty. One way he reveals the holiness of the American cause is by comparing the colonies to Jesus and the early christians. Henry warns the delegates against being people who “having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not” when it comes to British oppression (3). In Jeremiah 5:21 this phrase was used to refer to non-christians — those who despite having eyes and ears, were blind to glory of God. This masterfully implies that those against war are like those non-believers, blind to the holy miracle that is occurring in front of them. It also compares the revolutionaries to the original followers of Jesus, because they are the minority that sees what is actually happening, and are fighting for a righteous cause. Building on this comparison, he warns the delegates that Britain will “[betray] them with a kiss,” referencing the kiss that Judas gave to Jesus immediately before betraying him (5). By comparing the British to the Judas, he warns the delegates...
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...Every person in the world has a different perspective on the purpose of the government, how much the government should be involved in the citizens life, and how much say the citizens should have in the government. The government was created for the soul purpose to protect and represent the people of its country. In the texts “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention,” by Patrick Henry, Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson, and a Transcript of “From Subjects to Citizens.” by the Kettering Foundation, a multitude of perspectives concerning the governments jarring actions, attitude toward the citizens, and unity. Patrick Henry elaborates on the tedious suffering of the subjects; whom wanted to be free from the kings ternary. The subjects wanted to initiate a new government because the kings parliament was dishonorable and blemished. “There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free … we must fight,” (Henry 1). The subjects felt hostile to the kings governing because their attempts to confront the king ended in “additional violence and insult.” The king was completely against the subjects being free from his reign so he sprung violence upon them....
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...There have been various occasions where history has been altered dramatically. Of all the state of affairs, Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention stands as the greatest alteration. This great change was to win the liberty for him and the representatives. Within the speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry had accomplished the desire to persuade the colonist in making a stand against Britain through a series of rhetorical techniques. These techniques consisted of many allusions, rhetorical questions, use of repetition and imagery. Patrick Henry utilized allusion during his speech to connect with the representatives. An example of this technique would be when he refers to the story of the Odyssey. “...listen to the song...
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...Patrick Henry’s Speech It is no secret that Patrick Henry was one of the most persuasive men of his time. In fact, his “Speech to the Virginia Convention” was not only his most famous, but also his most persuasive speech. Throughout this speech, there are many persuasive techniques, however, pathos is the most frequently used. Patrick Henry is attempting to persuade these men to stand up and fight against the British, and in order to do so, he had to use a very strong emotion to move these men. During his speech, Henry asks many rhetorical questions to really get his audience thinking. In one, he asks, “Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love?” (Henry, 9). Before, in the leading...
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...How Patrick Henry Moved People with His Speech What is one major factor of a speech that conveys their message to the audience? Most of the time, it is logic that really gets into the people’s minds. Logos is a major part of Patrick Henry’s influential speech, “Speech to the Virginia Convention.” In 1775 Patrick Henry attended the second Virginia Convention and had proposed a way to raise militia to put Virginia in a state of defense. Other delegates insisted otherwise, Henry’s impromptu speech really turned their ideas around. Patrick Henry best demonstrated logos to inform his audience of what America was coming to under the rule of Britain and how we needed to declare independence. Patrick Henry decides to use facts to wake up the people of America that were willing to continue to subject themselves to Britain’s rule. During his speech, he talks about preparations Britain is making to take the newly founded United States to war. “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these war-like preparations which cover our waters and darken our land” (Henry qtd. In “Give Me”). The colonist have risked their whole lives for a new beginning- war would ruin it all. The logic behind war and the aftermath of...
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...Mary A. Dao English 3P, Period 1 Ms. Alba 2nd November, 2015 Early American Ideas: Patrick Henry It is how people treat their peers, human nature. The human nature that can be found in Americans is like no other. The American is a strong, proud, and passionate man. Mr. Patrick Henry seems to have proved the previous statement quite accurately with his logical and emotional appeal. For example, Henry states “Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.”( ¶ 3 Page 2). This quote explains Henry’s definition of human nature, where he thinks that all American’s have the ability to come up and fight together against any enemy in their path....
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...colonies in 1775. British soldiers were sailing across the sea by the boatload, and taking away everything the colonists knew and loved. Patrick Henry, however, was one man who stood above the rest, and was not willing to accept the tyranny of the British. Henry addressed what was known as the Virginia Convention, and gave what ended up being one of the greatest speeches of all time. Using rhetorical questions, repetition, symbolism, personification, allusion, and parallelism, Patrick Henry urged the members of the Virginia Convention and the citizens of every county in Virginia to fight back against the British and regain their freedom and hometown. One of the strongest and most often used rhetorical devices that Henry used was rhetorical question. Many of these questions were asked so the members of the Virginia Convention would better understand that they needed to go to war. Henry asked “Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love?” Up until this point in time, the citizens of the colonies had been nothing but cooperative to the British. Even though the members of the Virginia Convention knew that British weren’t invading out of love, Henry asks this question to prove that they had done nothing wrong. Patrick Henry also states “Are we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new...
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...Patrick Henry's, speech is to individuals in the Virginia Convention in Richmond. The speech distinguishes the explanations behind the Revolutionary War, on March 23, 1775. The reason for his speech was to persuade audience at the convention to go to war with the expectation that they will acquire their independence from Britain and ultimately demonstrate that the US isn’t an easy target to constrain. All throughout Patrick's entire speech, he utilizes an exacting influential tone by utilizing numerous rhetorical devices to convey his point. Patrick Henry starts out his speech with logos by giving motivation behind why colonists of contrasting judgment ought to meet up as one. He expresses, “No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism,...
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...On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry, the former governor of Virginia, proposed an idea of his to the Virginia Convention, regarding the American colonies’ conflict between them and the British tyranny. Henry persuaded these people and informed them at they needed to go to war to solve their problems if Britain did not meet their demands, by respectfully introducing his views on the situation. At the time, everyone else wanted to peacefully end their conflict, but Henry thought that the only answer, is to go to war and take their demands by force. Henry portrays his views through the use of repetition and allusion. Patrick Henry was not afraid to express his love for his religion, especially throughout his speech. Henry uses a substantial amount...
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...Biblical Themes from Patrick Henry Sarah Lumbard HIUS 221 January 30, 2014 On March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry stood before the House of Burgesses in St. Johns Church in Richmond Virginia. His eloquent speech, now known as the famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, was given to the members of the House, which included Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The audience was a predominately Christian audience, as most men were in colonial days. Having been moved by the Great Awakening to be more involved in the politics and be a Christian influence, Henry appealed to the patriot and the Christian in each member of the audience. Throughout Henry’s speech, biblical themes can be found. Henry was not using the biblical phrases in context per say, but he was using them as catch phrases to appeal to the Christian morals and Biblical knowledge that these men had. One of the many biblical references that jumps out is in relation to the crown not listening to the colonists as they petition for fair treatment as British subjects and respect for their rights, and yet were always denied. Henry says, “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.” This vivid imagery reminds us of the kiss from Judas on Jesus’ cheek as he identifies him to the Roman soldiers. Luke 22: 47b-48 says, “And he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” To the colonists, this kiss represents the betrayal of the King of England...
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...source of hope. Jonathan Edwards’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God speech and Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” have many differences in the way the speakers portray religion to their advantage, and striking similarities in how they use religious views to persuade their audience. Edwards begins his speech by explaining God’s wrath, and how all Christians are held in the “hand” of God over the pit of hell. From the beginning of his speech, he uses this imagery to instill the fear of burning in hell eternally. Edwards then continues to add panic within the audience as he conveys that “The devil is waiting for them, hell gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them and would swallow them up” (5-7). The usage of imagery pushes these...
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