Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was born in May 29, 1736. He was born in Hanover County, Virginia. He was a lawyer and a polititian. He was elected to Virginia House of Burgesses in 1765; Admitted to the Bar of the General Court in Virginia, 1769; Elected to the Continental Congress, 1774; Virginia Militia Leader, 1775; Governor of Virginia, 1776-1778, 1784. He died in June 6, 1799. Henry's reputation as a passionate orator exceeded even Samuel Adams. His Stamp Act Resolutions were the first shot fired in the Revolutionary War.

Young Patrick was a very intelligent person, with a curious personality, everyone knew he was bright but he simply wouldnt lift a finger except for his own pleasure. By the age of 10 his parents knew that he wouldn't be a farmer and they tried to train him toward academic studies.
He would not apply himself to studies either. At age 21 his father set him up in a business that he bankrupted shortly after. He was very pressured by his family, and that maked him get married at 18 years old that caused him to study for six weeks and take the bar exam, which he passed, and begin work as a lawyer. In 1764 he moved to Louisa county, Virginia, where, as a lawyer, he argued in defense of voting rights before the House of Burgesses.

The following year he was elected to the House and soon became its leading radical member. It was that year that he proposed the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. Few members of the Burgesses, would argue openly for defiance of Great Britain. Henry argued with remarkable fervor in favor of the five acts. In 1774 he represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress where he continued in his role. At the outbreak of the revolution, he returned to his native state and lead militia in defense of Virginia's gunpowder store. In 1776, Henry was elected Governor of Virginia. He was re-elected for three times and then he was succeeded by Thomas Jefferson. He was again elected to the office in 1784.

Patrick Henry was a strong critic of the constitution proposed in 1787. He was in favor of the strongest possible government for the individual states, and a weak federal government. He was also very critical of the fact that the convention was conducted in secret. President Washington appointed him Secretary of State in 1795, but Henry declined the office. In 1799, President Adams appointed him to France, but failing health required him to decline this office too. He died on June 6, 1799 at age of 63.