“But as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

Oh, hello! My name is Patrick Henry. I was born in 1736, and I attended Mr. Fauntleroy’s Boarding School until I was about ten years old.

On vacations, I returned home to my mother, father, my brother, Will, some younger sisters, and my half-brother John Syme. My home was a fine old plantation in Virginia called Studley.  

When I was about 14 years old, we had to move to Mount Brilliant because John was old enough to own Studley. Later, when I was about fifteen, I worked as a merchant with Will as my first job. After a while, though, Will lost interest, and dropped out, so I was on my own.  

That’s when I started to get a tiny urge to start law practice because I always got the latest news by just overhearing conversations in my shop. I had been in business for exactly one year when I was forced to close down because I didn’t have enough money to pay for my merchandise.

In 1754, I married Sarah Shelton. Six years later, I finally started law practice. My first case as an attorney was a debate that nobody else could win, but I surprised everyone including myself, by succeeding. I continued being an attorney for the rest of my life. One day in 1776, I received a copy of the U.S. Constitution. After I read it, I demanded and drew up the Bill of Rights. I died in 1799, living to be 63 years old.

Last reviewed August 27, 2008