Give Me Liberty!

250 years ago today, Patrick Henry took the floor of the Virginia Convention. Up for debate was Virginia's response to the ongoing crisis with the mother country, Great Britain. In particular, should the colonists of Virginia form a separate militia to defend against British regular forces?

Henry delivered a rousing speech. According to a later reconstruction, he ended with the famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Historians are not sure if those were his exact words. Nevertheless, the sentiment swept through the Convention. Virginia agreed to form the militias to defend its liberties.