Patrick Henry biography

Synopsis

Early Life

With his persuasive and passionate speeches, famed patriot Patrick Henry helped kickstart the American Revolution. He was born in Hanover County, Virginia, on a plantation that belonged to his mother's family. Unlike his mother, who had strong roots in the region, his father immigrated to the colony from Scotland.

The second oldest out of nine children, Henry received much of his schooling from his father, who had attended university in Scotland, and his uncle, an Anglican minister. He was a musical child, playing both the fiddle and the flute. He may have modeled his great oratory style on the religious sermons by his uncle and others. With his mother, Henry sometimes attended services held by Presbyterian preachers who visited the area.

At the age of 15, Henry ran a store for his father. The business didn't last, and Henry had his first taste of failure. He married Sarah Shelton, the daughter of a local innkeeper, in 1754. As part of his wife's dowry, Henry received some farm land. He tried growing tobacco there for three years, but he didn't fare well in this new venture either. In 1757, Henry and his wife lost their farmhouse to a fire. He then managed a tavern for his father-in-law and studied to be a lawyer. In 1760, he secured his law license.

Lawyer and Politician

As a lawyer, Henry developed a reputation as a powerful and persuasive speaker with the 1763 case known as "Parson's Cause." The Virginia Colony passed a law changing the way church ministers were paid, resulting in a monetary loss for the ministers. When King George III overturned the law, one Virginia clergyman sued for back pay and won his case. Henry spoke out against the minister, when the case went to a jury to decide damages. Pointing out the greed and royal interference in colonial matters associated with this legal decision, he managed to convince the jury to grant the lowest possible award—one farthing, or one penny.

In 1765, Henry won election to the House of Burgesses. He proved himself to be an early voice of dissent against Britain's colonial policies. During the debate over the Stamp Act of 1765, which effectively taxed every type of printed paper used by the colonists, Henry spoke out against the measure. He insisted that only the colony itself should be able to levy taxes on its citizens. Some in the assembly cried out that his comments were treason, but Henry was unfazed. His suggestions for handling the matter were printed and distributed to other colonies, helping to spur on the growing discontent with British rule.

American Revolutionary

An active force in the growing rebellion against Britain, Henry had the remarkable ability to translate his political ideology into the language of the common man.