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GED Social Studies 1.1 Civics and Government
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Patrick Henry 12134 Views
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Description:
Famously quoted as saying, "Give me liberty or give me death," Patrick Henry rallied the people and began the fight for America.
Transcript
- 00:08
Patrick Henry, a la Shmoop.
- 00:10
When the British really started putting the screws to the Colonists…
- 00:13
…most of them just sat there and took it.
- 00:17
That is, until one man refused to take it anymore.
- 00:20
Coming in the summer of 1776…
Full Transcript
- 00:23
THE INCREDIBLE PATRICK HENRY! To Pat – better known as “Skullcrusher”
- 00:28
– many Colonists were privileged old, rich men…
- 00:31
…who had a lot to lose by starting a revolution.
- 00:34
In other words...
- 00:35
...they were wusses.
- 00:36
Pat couldn’t take it much more. He first blew up at something called “The Stamp Act…”
- 00:41
…which was a major tax the British imposed on the colonies.
- 00:44
It made Pat angry.
- 00:46
You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
- 00:49
He pushed through what were called the Virginia Resolves…
- 00:52
…which basically said the British could screw America' over.
- 00:54
He was called a traitor right there on the spot.
- 00:57
He, in turn, said the Colonists who called him a traitor could…
- 01:00
…“verily place it with much force into an area where the sun does not shine.”
- 01:07
Pat went on to lay the groundwork for the First Continental Congress…
- 01:10
…which was like the Avengers version of the Founding Fathers.
- 01:13
The British sent troops to maintain order…
- 01:16
…and the wusses… the other Colonists, couldn’t decide what to do.
- 01:20
Pat couldn’t take it anymore. He leapt onto a table and roared:
- 01:24
“GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!”
- 01:27
The other Congressman jumped up and yelled… …“To arms! To arms!”
- 01:31
After the war, Pat did not want to adopt the Constitution.
- 01:34
In fact, he hated the Constitution.
- 01:36
So much so that he was one of the driving forces behind the Bill of Rights…
- 01:39
…which, to Pat, fixed what was wrong with the Constitution.
- 01:43
George Washington and John Adams both offered Pat jobs in their presidencies…
- 01:48
…but in true Pat fashion, he told them where they could stick it.
- 01:54
What do you think?
- 01:54
Would the Colonists ever have revolted without Patrick Henry there to push them?
- 01:58
Or was he just expressing what folks like Jefferson and Franklin were already thinking.
- 02:02
Shmoop amongst themselves.
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