Patrick Henry: Revolutionary Man

Patrick Henry was one of America's founding fathers.  He was a post-colonial governor of Virginia, and one of the most influential and radical advocates for the American Revolution and republicanism.  Patrick Henry later opposed the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution because he feared that it would endanger states rights and individual freedoms.

St. John's Church here in Richmond was the site of the Second Virginia Convention of 1775 and Patrick Henry's famous "give me liberty or give me death!" speech, his plea to unite Virginians to join the cause of the American Revolution.  If you are ever in Richmond, you should check out this historic site.  The church's baptismal font is where Pocahontas was christened and given the Christian name Rebecca.

Scotchtown, located outside of nearby Ashland, Virginia, was one of the many places that Patrick Henry lived.  He lived there for only five years.  Sadly, his wife Sarah was mentally ill, and luckily for her, Patrick had an enlightened view of mental illness.  Most people thought mental illness was caused by the devil.  At Scotchtown, he made sure that she was well taken care of.  When she died, no one would give her a proper burial, so Patrick did it himself.  There is a lilac bush just outside of the house where his wife is supposedly buried.Patrick Henry did not die at Scotchtown, but he moved to Red Hill Plantation closer to Richmond. There he died at the age of sixty three.

   Patrick Henry was a great man because of his revolutionary ideas and his kindness toward his wife. Not many people back then would be kind to mentally ill people. What makes him even more extraordinary was the fact that he taught himself law and he got himself  a job as a lawyer! He truly was a self-made man who was very compassionate towards others.