Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry by George Bagby Matthews, oil on canvas, ca. 1891 (US Senate Collection)

Patrick Henry (1736–1799), the Founding Father famous for proclaiming “Give me liberty, or give me death,” was elected governor of Virginia in 1776 and later served in the Virginia Assembly. A staunch advocate for states’ rights, he refused to endorse the United States Constitution, believing that its proponents had monarchical sympathies.

Related Resources

Patrick Henry on the Evils of Slavery, 1773

A slaveholder on his hypocrisy and admiration for antislavery advocates

Supporting Document

Patrick Henry to Richard Henry Lee, November 14, 1777 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Patrick Henry on Military and Financial Matters, 1777

Letter to a co-signer of the Declaration of Independence on financial, legislative, and military concerns

Supporting Document

Patrick Henry to Edward Telfair, October 14, 1790. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Patrick Henry on States’ Rights, 1790

Letter to the governor of Georgia arguing against federal encroachment on land ownership

Supporting Document