Patrick Henry was born in 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia. He went to public school for a short time but was taught by his father who was well educated. Henry was a storekeeper then studied law and recieved his license to practice in 1760. In 1763 Henry won himself fame in Virginia in a noted lawsuite called the Parsons' Cause.
In 1764 Henry was elected to the Virginia House of Burgessses. His speech against the Stamp Act in 1765 is one of his greatest orations, he said, "Ceasar had his Brutus-Charles the First his Cromwell-and George the Third may profit from their example. If this be treason, make the most of it." .
In August 1774, Virginia elected Henry a delagate to the First Continental Congress. On March 23, 1775 Henry gave his great speech, quoted the words, "Give me liberty or give me death." His most famous saying. After that, the convention re-elected him and six others to go back to Philidelphia for the Second Continental Congress.
After being a member of the Second Continental Congress he became commander in Chief of Virginia's military forces. He resigned his post in 1776. A few months later, he was chosen a member of the commitee to draw up the first constitution of the commenwealth of Virginia.
Henry became governer of the new commenwealth of Virginia when it was established in 1776. He showed his feeling of democracy when he became the first American politician to refer to the people as "fellow citizens.".
Henry worked hard to solve the many problems in the Revolutionary War. He recruited soldiers, supplied the soldiers with clothing and shoes and sent cattle to feed them at Valley Forge.
Henry was criticized in spite of his hard work. But he was elected governer again in 1777, 1778, 1784 and 1785. During his second term, Henry provided supplies for the George Rogers Clarke expedition. Henry accepted the constitution and joined the Federalist Party. He was a big part of the adoption of the first ten commandments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
