Patric Henry Explanatory Essay
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Timing is everything; whether it is asking someone out, accepting admissions to a university, or is it making the winning shot in the final minutes of a game. There came a moment in 1775 when Patrick Henry had no more sense of passiveness towards the British; he wanted no compromise with King George the third. Ten years before that, Henry was perturbed by the Stamp Act of 1765 and spoke up against it. The Stamp Act stated that all colonial residents must pay a tax on every single printed document, including receipts, contracts, wills, advertising, even playing cards and dice. After ten years of oppression by the British, Henry could not take it anymore and saw that it was time again to speak his mind before the House at the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Patrick Henry’s famous “Speech to the Virginia Convention” was what many believed to be the turning point in colonial American history. From reading and analyzing “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” one could agree that Patrick Henry strongly convinced members of the House that his desire to wage war against the British deserves a listen and his reasons for waging and declaring war with British are in America’s best interest. Henry accomplishes this mainly through the use of rhetorical devices and literary elements.
One of the most important steps Patrick Henry does to sway his listeners is to build his character, use of ethos; a man with respect towards everyone in the room with him. Patrick Henry states, “Mr. President: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentleman who have just addressed the House[…] I hope that it will not be not thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as i do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs []” (81). He receives respect from his peers by speaking highly about their loyalty to each other and the land. He calls them patriots; a word charges with positive emotion. Not only does Patrick Henry touch upon their loyalty to each and the land they live on, yet he compliments their strength. Henry goes on to negate the idea that his people should just stand idly. “Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us”(82). We see Henry giving credit to the power of the people in the room and those living on these colonial lands. This strength is not your normal human strength; however, it comes from God , “holy cause of liberty.” As can be seen, Patrick Henry builds this respect for his audience by using ethos. His character is admired because he gives them respect.
For Henry’s argument, he needed to use reasonable ideas to have his audience know the British are becoming the enemies. He presents logical appeals by claiming the British do not want to negotiate. “Our petitions