Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Shortly after 10:00 in the morning, March 23, 1775, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, Patrick Henry delivered his stirring "liberty or death" speech to members of the Virginia Convention, which included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The members were moved to vote in favor of a militia for the defense of the American colonies against the troops of Great Britain.
Colonial Governors were appointed by the British King and had complete control of colonial government. The colonial people were eventually able to convince their governors to grant them some degree of self-rule. Virginia was the first English colony in America to set up a representative legislative body they called House of Burgesses whose first meeting was held in Jamestown on July 30, 1619.
After the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, over the next 150 years the colonies grew and prospered. However, ensuing heavy taxes, unfair treatment of trade, lack of representation and many other issues imposed on the growing numbers of colonists by the British King caused great tension.
The British began using military force in the 1700's to control the colonists. They closed the Boston port, which greatly angered the colonists. It created a desire for unity among the colonists who called a convention of delegates from all 13 colonies. The first meeting of the Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. Many members of the Continental Congress were also members of the Virginia House of Burgesses. The purpose of the meeting was not to seek independence but to gain fair treatment from Great Britain in trade and taxation policies.
In the ensuing six months, efforts from the First Continental Congress failed to gain any concessions from Great Britain and tensions increased. The Virginia Convention held on March 23, 1775, at St. John's Episcopal Church was brought about by the critical state of affairs in the American colonies.
The representatives were really the House of Burgesses, which normally would have met at Williamsburg, the seat of government, but this meeting was called a "convention" and assembled in Richmond to avoid interference by the British governor. Representatives were divided in their loyalties to Great Britain. Some wanted to avoid the impending war and continue peaceful negotiations. Others thought it was too late to avoid war. Patrick Henry introduced a resolution "... that this colony be immediately put into a state of defense and that a committee be named by the Convention to prepare a plan for embodying, arming and discipling such a number of men as may be sufficient for the purpose".
As a result of Patrick Henry's speech, the resolution passed and none too soon. Just 17 days later, on April 9, 1775, British troops marched on Lexington in search of arms, killing eight Americans, then marched to Concord to search for arms. They fired shots at the angry colonials who returned the fire, firing "... the shot heard 'round the world'. One month later, on May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met. It assumed the duties of government, unified the colonies for the war effort, organized an army, and appointed George Washington as its Commander in Chief