Patrick Henry

1736 – 1799

Patrick Henry was an American statesman, orator, and Founding Father who served as the first and sixth post-colonial governor of Virginia between 1776 and 1786. His 1775 declaration to the Second Virginia Convention—"Give me liberty, or give me death!"—became one of the most famous calls to arms of the American Revolution. He refused to attend the Constitutional Convention out of distrust for centralized power and became a leading anti-Federalist whose advocacy helped spur adoption of the Bill of Rights.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM