Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry, born in 1736 and raised in Virginia's Piedmont countryside, was a firebrand who emerged as one of the state's most radical politicians. He believed that individual liberties and the interests of his home state were endangered unless the Constitution was modified and he fought to achieve that goal.

A lawyer, Henry used his practice to defend natural rights and argued against laws that infringed on them. He was the leading litigator in the case that led to Virginia's victory over the British in the Parsons' Cause controversy.

He was a strong opponent of the Stamp Act and helped to get the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions passed in 1765, defending Virginia from Britain's enactment of the Act. Later he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and served in that body from 1765 to 1775. He also volunteered for the Revolutionary War as a Colonel in the 1st Virginia Regiment.

During the war, Henry helped to lead a militia that stopped Lord Dunmore's attempt to remove gunpowder supplies from Williamsburg. He was also a key member of the Committee of Safety, which was responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence and ensuring its adoption by the colonies.

His career as a lawyer began in 1760 when he was admitted to the bar and opened a law practice in Williamsburg, Virginia. He became a famous orator and gained many clients, winning 164 cases in 1763 alone.

After his graduation from law school in 1765, Henry became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, an influential political body. He urged a series of resolutions condemning the Stamp Act, which was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1765 and repealed in 1773. He also defended Virginia against the new British treasury tax and worked to defend his clients in a lawsuit that was brought by a British merchant house for prewar debts.

Although Henry is best known for his "Give me liberty, or give me death" speech he gave on December 1, 1776, his lifelong pursuit of freedom, liberty, and justice led him to become a major force in the American Revolution. He is the greatest orator America has ever produced, and he was recognized as a great lawyer.

In his lifetime, he was a powerful force in the Virginian government and was the most influential leader of the American Revolution. He was a staunch opponent of the federal government, and he was the first governor of Virginia.

Kukla has done an excellent job of presenting a modern account of the life of this great man. His book is the most thorough biography of Patrick Henry that has appeared in decades and is well worth reading for anyone interested in the early years of American democracy.

He writes a clear, concise, and easy-to-follow narrative that avoids scholarly debate but does draw on it. He doesn't overstress his subject or try to make it a historical thriller, but his writing is intelligent and entertaining, especially when he presents the darker side of Henry's life. His sensitivity to his subject's struggles with mental illness and death is impressive, and he has the gift of a good storyteller. His book is a worthy addition to the library of any historian, and readers will find it an enjoyable read.