HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW PATRICK HENRY?

MOST KNOW VERY LITTLE.

Recently in a conversation with a man on Telegram, I was asked why Patrick Henry refused to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This would provide the answer to his question and perhaps the question of many others.

We have all heard of Patrick Henry, but outside of his “Give me Liberty or give me death” words at St. John’s Church on March 23, 1775, the great majority of people in this country know very little about the man whose voice struck the match to the powder keg that became the American Revolution with his speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses in May of 1765. Ironically, Henry would be accused of “treason” by the gentry/aristocracy in that body for his scalding words aimed at King George III. Yet, 23 years later, when Henry attacked the gentry/aristocracy who had unconstitutionally written a new constitution at the Virginia Ratification Convention, he would be accused of much worse.

There are not a lot of resources out there on Patrick Henry. His complete opposition to the “divinely inspired” constitution presents a real problem for parchment worshipers. Many among the Founders wrote that Henry was the most devout Christian among them and his life story backs up their beliefs. Hard to explain how a constitution inspired by God was so hated and strenuously opposed by a devout Christian, so they prefer to ignore Henry except to quote the “Give me Liberty or give me death” story.