“Give me liberty or give me death.”

Most Americans know the line, but on March 23, 1775, the speaker stood inside St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, addressing the Second Virginia Convention. At the time, the colonies were locked in a growing standoff with Great Britain. British troops were already stationed in Boston, and tensions were at their highest.

This line still matters today, as does the man who said it.

Who said, “Give me liberty or give me death,” and why?

Patrick Henry spoke the famous line.

Not many realize the words were spoken as leaders were debating whether to revolt against the king.

Some of the delegates to the convention suggested peace and reconciliation with Britain.

He argued that the time for talk had passed. In his speech, he warned, “The war is actually begun!”

To Henry, liberty was quickly slipping away.

He closed his speech with the line that would echo through........

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