Remember Patrick Henry?

What was the Virginia Convention?

• A large meeting hall in Virginia where politicians could meet.

• A group of representatives from Virginia that met to discuss relations with England.

• A two-day session of learning workshops for war strategies that took place in Virginia.

• A music festival that took place on a farm in Virginia County, Maryland.

Who was Patrick Henry?

• One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

• One of the first generals of the Revolutionary War

• One of the founding fathers and the first governor of Virginia after Independence was declared.

• The lead singer of the band "House of Burgesses", which was a band that performed at the Virginia Convention.

Which of the following is the line that Patrick Henry is most famous for?

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

• Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,

• Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,

• Give me Liberty or Give me Death!

Why was Patrick Henry's speech only recorded 12 years after he gave it?

• It could be pirated and sold. He wanted to protect his royalties.

• It could be changed so that someone could accuse him of loyalty to England.

• It could be used to accuse him of treason because it spoke against the king and English government.

• It could be copied and distributed. The upper class didn't want reading material spread to the lower class because education is power.

What does the first paragraph of Henry's speech do?

• Addresses the president of the convention politely and declares his intention to voice his strong opinions about relations with England, though he is fully aware that his opinions are not the same as the other men that have spoken.

• Addresses the president of the convention politely and declares his intention to voice his strong support of the other men who have spoken about relations with England.

• Addresses the president of the convention with strongly worded language intended to let everyone present know that he is angry and that he doesn't intend to be polite about it.

• Addresses the president of the convention with anger and pathos in order to demand that the members of the convention storm the governor's palace to evict the king's representative.

Patrick Henry uses a lot of rhetorical questions in his speech. Why?

• Because he needs answers! He wants to make his audience give him the information that he needs.

• Because he uses logos! Question and answer sessions are very logical ways to get a point across.

• Because he uses ethos! He establishes his credibility by showing the audience cannot answer his questions, but he has the answers.

• Because he uses pathos! People will instinctively answer a line worded as a question and, if the question is meant to get an emotional answer, they will express how they feel.

Patrick Henry alludes to the "Song of the Siren" in his speech. What is this an allusion (passing reference) to?

• The sirens were beautiful women in the Bible that acted as servers and dancers in King David's palace.

• The sirens were monsters in Greek mythology that appeared as beautiful women and sang to lure sailors to their doom.

• The sirens were from the pamphlet "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. He used sirens as a metaphor for the warnings that they've had about England's treachery.

• The sirens were loud noises from the text "Frankie the Firetruck" and they were used to warn people of approaching dangers.

What is parallelism? (Also known as parallel structure...)

• When things in a series are listed with the same grammatical structure or sound.

• When things in a series are explained, rather than listed.

• When things in a series are too confusing to understand and the reader decides to skip the line.

• When things in a series are listed repeatedly to make a point.

What was the purpose of Patrick Henry's speech?

• To convince the Virginia representatives that George Washington had the experience and leadership skills necessary to become the first general of the continental army.

• To convince the Virginia representatives that future negotiations with the governor and England needed to be supported with riots, like the Boston Tea Party, to be effective.

• No real reason. This hothead just really liked to talk.

• To convince the Virginia representatives to declare Independence from England and, if necessary, to prepare for war.

Why should we study Patrick Henry's speech?

• Because colleges will expect that all students have experienced certain key American texts.

• Because OST's and ACT's include old American texts.

• Because Mrs. Chernick really likes this speech and she will keep insisting it is really good until we agree with her.

• To understand the real identity of our nation, we have to know the people and words that have shaped her experiences. Also, studying the master writers and orators will teach us how to write and speak effectively.