The High Price of Liberty

            The late eighteenth century was a time when citizens of the British colonies that would be come the United States of America rose up against their ruling country. This was done in the pursuit of liberty. The American Revolution was successful due to many key elements and individual. The revolution was started thanks to the writings and speeches that were inspired by the Enlightenment. Patrick Henry gave a key speech in the independence movement to the Virginia Convention. His speech is remembered because of it's final words, "give me liberty or give me death!" The topic of valuing liberty over life itself is a recurring theme throughout the speech. He, like many revolutionary leaders, valued the possibility of being free from England over living the rest of their life under British rule. His speech is calculated and uses stylistic devices to make it easier for his audience, many of whom did not agree with him, to connect with what he was saying. The audience, a convention dedicated to finding solutions to the Stamp Act, ha an easy time connecting with Henry and the subject because liberty was something many strived for and were ready to fight for. Overall, Henry's speech is one that Americans can look back on and realize that this fight was the foundation of America. In his speech, Henry was a variety of literary techniques to envoke his fellow Americans into the quest for liberty. .
             Patrick Henry was a very gifted speaker who used his speeches to invoke a sense of commonality in his audience. His speech "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" was delivered March 23rd, 1775, at the second Virginia Convention. Ten years prior, George Grenville rose in Parliament to offer the fifty-five resolutions of his Stamp Bill, which would lessen British taxes as well as create authority over the new colonies in America in order to enforce mercantilist policies and increase revenue to the British government.