Patrick Henry Patrick Henry was a great patriot. He never used his fists or guns to fight for his country, but he used a much more powerful weapon in which he had great skill: his words. Perhaps the greatest orator of his time, his speeches such as "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" struck a chord in the American spirit of those who opposed oppression and tyranny. Henry was born May 29, 1736, in Studley, Virginia. His education was elementary; elementary school, then educated in the classics by his father. His father, John Henry, was a well-educated Scotsman who was a surveyor, colonel and judge of the local county court. While still young, Patrick Henry first went into warehousing, which failed twice, and then into farming, which also failed. Despite initial difficulties, he married Sara Shelton and, given the new responsibilities of marriage, began practicing law. He had a natural talent for the new job and soon found himself very successful. The first signs of his "oratorial genus" appeared when Virginia appeared asking for a change in the law which had been rejected by King George III. After this case he was soon accepted as a member of the House of Burgesses. There he delivered another famous speech in opposition to the Stamp Act. After concluding this speech, one shouts "Treason! Betrayal!" rang in the hall, but Henry replied: "If this is treason, take advantage of it." Thus began the li...