The Blue Ridge Center hosted Mary Kate Cary, former adjunct politics professor and assistant vice president and deputy chief of staff in the Office of the President, Monday evening. The event, titled “America at 250: Patrick Henry & The American Revolution,” was held in Monroe Hall and was co-sponsored by the U.Va. Speaking Center, Virginia Review of Politics and Think Again, which was founded by Cary.
Cary, who formerly served as adjunct professor in the politics department and White House speechwriter for George H.W. Bush, discussed Founding Father and famous orator Patrick Henry's infamous “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death” speech at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775. Cary said the speech remains a pinnacle example of speechwriting and became the catalyst for the American Revolution.
Henry’s speech, delivered March 23, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond, aimed to persuade the delegates of the convention to take swift action against British rule. Henry rightfully believed that a war between the colonies and Great Britain was inevitable because of rising tensions and aggressive taxation by the British, and that fighting for freedom against British rule was a moral responsibility of those in attendance, among them being Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
The speech concluded with, “give me liberty or give me death,” encapsulating the spirit of the colonies throughout the Revolutionary War as they fought against tyranny. Henry’s speech, despite not being transcribed at the time, helped sway moderates to support military action and, to this day, remains a significant historical testament to the start of the American Revolution.
The presentation explained the ways Henry demonstrated structured speechwriting skills — which academics established as effective persuasive tools nearly two centuries later — and how his passionate delivery made the speech one of the most influential in American history.
Cary said that not only did Henry’s speech have an immediate and immense impact at the time, but it also had a lasting influence on political speeches and protests for freedom, such as those given by Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, Ronald Reagan and at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Henry’s declaration of “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” which once captured the American colonies' fight for freedom against oppression, has remained a symbol of rising up against tyranny.
“I cannot overestimate the ripple effect that this speech had. Without it, obviously the American Revolution never even would have happened. The United States would not be the great nation it is today,” Cary said. “Revolutions against oppression and totalitarianism all over the world have used various versions of this phrase ever since colonial times.”
Henry’s speech was also divided into the five categories of Monroe's Motivated Sequence by Cary — grabber, problem, solution, visualization and call to action. Cary also broke down the speech into categories of pathos, ethos and logos, demonstrating how Henry utilized different methods of persuasion to advocate for fighting against British rule.
Cary said that each of these Monroe Motivated Sequence elements contributes to effective speechwriting.
“Because of this speech, [the American people] knew exactly what they were fighting for. They didn't need to be explained, ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,’” Cary said. “After this speech, Patrick Henry remained a very influential figure in American government, and by the next year — 1776 — he became the first Governor of independent Virginia.”
Second-year Batten student Ella-Mae Price was in attendance at the event and said it provided an interesting look at speechwriting and the history behind Henry.
“I thought it was really interesting … It was really helpful, and I liked learning about the history of Patrick Henry and his revolutionary speech,” Price said.
Henry’s speech is the first in a docuseries, titled "Speaking of America,” examining historically significant speeches with Cary to honor the United States’ 250th anniversary. The docuseries is being published through U.Va.’s Office of Engagement and the Office of the President, and will be released throughout the spring.
The Blue Ridge Center will host its next event in Monroe Hall March 30 at 7:30 p.m., featuring criminal defense lawyer Tim Heaphy to discuss his prosecution of cases involving the 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville and the investigation of the Jan. 6 mob.
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