Patrick Henry
Anybody who knows me well knows that I absolutely love American history, especially the Revolutionary War Era.
From among all of our founding fathers, Patrick Henry has always been one of my favorites. His story is one of humility and passion---of failure, determination, and success. He's an excellent example of a man who could have given up countless times but who, instead, chose to persevere, and because he pushed forward, the world became a better place.
He's probably best known for the infamous, fiery speech he gave at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775 where he said, ". . . Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty G-d! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
John Henry emigrated from Scotland and settled in Virginia, where he married an English girl, and along came Patrick! They were, basically, a traditional middle class family who owned land and lived comfortably.
Patrick had a rather rough start in life. He went to school for a while, and then his father tutored him at home. He married and worked alongside a handful of slaves on the plantation his father-in-law gave him, which wasn't known to be very profitable. Then, their house burnt down. He decided to try his hand in a couple business ventures, but he failed there, too.
Since giving up wasn't in his nature, he decided to go in a completely different direction and learn the law, which ended up being an amazing fit for him! He was a gifted orator, and his philosophy on politics and natural law was sound. His career as an attorney took off like a wildfire! He entered the political arena and quickly became a rising star there as well.
His first wife suffered for years from debilitating mental illness, then she died, leaving him to balance the heavy responsibilities of being a single father to several children with those he owed to his country, which was already on the brink of war. They say that his faith was an integral part of his daily life (he was Episcopalian), and he strongly advocated for people of all religions to be able to practice freely. He also became one of the most active abolitionists of his time.
Patrick was what is called an Anti-Federalist. That means he was opposed the the U.S. Constitution as it was initially written. (Bear with me for a moment because I realize that sounds awful!) Remember that the Constitution originally had no protections for the citizens. It did not contain a bill of rights; consequently, the people had no guaranteed protection from the government---no rights were articulated, which was a safety net no sane American should have been willing to go without at that point. It established a federal government with power distribution that was, debatably, unequal. Giving too much power to the president without appropriate checks and balances could, they feared, usher the country directly into a situation with a monarchy of sorts. The thought among Anti-Federalists, essentially, was that the Constitution gave entirely too much power to a federal government, and it created a centralized government, as opposed to a true federal government. They felt that it was written by "aristocrats" without the common man in mind, and that it was eroding states' rights. Patrick was instrumental in getting the Bill of Rights passed because that was something he believed in wholeheartedly. (Just an FYI, Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, and James Madison were also Anti-Federalists.)
I think perhaps we, as a country, would do well to revisit the basic principles of what is and is not the responsibility of a true federal government and what was meant to be assigned to the state and local governments. . . . and a few other things. :)
I'll leave you with this quote.
“It is when a people forget G-d that tyrants forge their chains.”
― Patrick Henry
From among all of our founding fathers, Patrick Henry has always been one of my favorites. His story is one of humility and passion---of failure, determination, and success. He's an excellent example of a man who could have given up countless times but who, instead, chose to persevere, and because he pushed forward, the world became a better place.
He's probably best known for the infamous, fiery speech he gave at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775 where he said, ". . . Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty G-d! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
John Henry emigrated from Scotland and settled in Virginia, where he married an English girl, and along came Patrick! They were, basically, a traditional middle class family who owned land and lived comfortably.
Patrick had a rather rough start in life. He went to school for a while, and then his father tutored him at home. He married and worked alongside a handful of slaves on the plantation his father-in-law gave him, which wasn't known to be very profitable. Then, their house burnt down. He decided to try his hand in a couple business ventures, but he failed there, too.
Since giving up wasn't in his nature, he decided to go in a completely different direction and learn the law, which ended up being an amazing fit for him! He was a gifted orator, and his philosophy on politics and natural law was sound. His career as an attorney took off like a wildfire! He entered the political arena and quickly became a rising star there as well.
His first wife suffered for years from debilitating mental illness, then she died, leaving him to balance the heavy responsibilities of being a single father to several children with those he owed to his country, which was already on the brink of war. They say that his faith was an integral part of his daily life (he was Episcopalian), and he strongly advocated for people of all religions to be able to practice freely. He also became one of the most active abolitionists of his time.
Patrick was what is called an Anti-Federalist. That means he was opposed the the U.S. Constitution as it was initially written. (Bear with me for a moment because I realize that sounds awful!) Remember that the Constitution originally had no protections for the citizens. It did not contain a bill of rights; consequently, the people had no guaranteed protection from the government---no rights were articulated, which was a safety net no sane American should have been willing to go without at that point. It established a federal government with power distribution that was, debatably, unequal. Giving too much power to the president without appropriate checks and balances could, they feared, usher the country directly into a situation with a monarchy of sorts. The thought among Anti-Federalists, essentially, was that the Constitution gave entirely too much power to a federal government, and it created a centralized government, as opposed to a true federal government. They felt that it was written by "aristocrats" without the common man in mind, and that it was eroding states' rights. Patrick was instrumental in getting the Bill of Rights passed because that was something he believed in wholeheartedly. (Just an FYI, Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, and James Madison were also Anti-Federalists.)
I think perhaps we, as a country, would do well to revisit the basic principles of what is and is not the responsibility of a true federal government and what was meant to be assigned to the state and local governments. . . . and a few other things. :)
I'll leave you with this quote.
“It is when a people forget G-d that tyrants forge their chains.”
― Patrick Henry
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