Notes on “Give me Liberty or Give me Death”

1. This is a speech, so, despite the archaic language, it is relatively easy to understand (in comparison to other documents here).
2. To excerpt this speech, focus on what will best support your argument. This is still a formal piece, which means you will have ro do some editing.
3. Patrick Henry was making an impassioned plea for support of the American Revolution, so you need to sound like you’re confident and passionate about what you;re talking about.
4. Possible research ideas include Patrick Henry’s biography, any of the Intolerable Acts, the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, slavery in the colonies (after all, Patrick Henry talked about freedom, yet he was a slaveholder), and issues between Loyalists and Revolutionaries.
5. Here is the Resource Collection. This is not an exhaustive collection of resources, but it does give you a place to start.