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| Patrick Henry |
“Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!”He ended by shouting, “Give me Liberty, or Give Me Death!”
No one questions whether Henry spoke that day, nor does anyone doubt Henry’s revolutionary fervor. The famous speech, however, is a forgery.
It is a forgery that does great disservice to Patrick Henry’s reputation. In real life, Patrick Henry, a trained lawyer, was known for a calm, reasoned style of speaking that appealed to the mind and conscience rather than to the hormones of rage. When we praise Patrick Henry as the man he never was, do we not do a great disservice to the thoughtful, creative leader that he was in real life?
Worse, how did we reach the point where we do not actually know what he said on such an important occasion?
To answer that question, we need to reflect on changes in technology and culture. Of course, in 1775, no one could make tape recordings or movies, much less iPhone videos. Most speeches were never recorded and thus were quickly forgotten. In some cases, the speaker might have had a prepared manuscript, which might or might not reflect the words that actually came out of the speaker’s mouth, and which might or might not be preserved for posterity. In other cases, a shorthand reporter might take detailed notes about the speech and produce a reasonably accurate transcript. In yet other cases, speakers would write up a text of the speech later—which might, or might not, reflect what was actually said—and publish it as a broadside or pamphlet. There was sometimes good money in that. Unfortunately for history, the group at St. John’s Church was planning rebellion and treason against the British crown, and it would have been the height of foolishness for them to keep excessively detailed records. So, they didn’t.
How do we know about this speech at all? Well, as it happens, in 1817, decades after the speech, Henry’s biographer, William Wirt, tracked down some elderly folks who had attended the speech and picked their brains to obtain their recollections. Wirt himself never met Patrick Henry. Wirt then produced a rather fanciful rendition that bore little resemblance to Henry’s character or ability. Wirt published his version of Henry’s speech in his 1817 book, Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry. On occasions when he could find accurate texts of other speeches, Wirt happily published them. We all know, however, that human memory fades and that we often remember things as we wished they had happened rather than according to what was real.
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| St. John's Church, ca. 1901 |
Wirt’s book in no way reflected the work of a professional historian or serious journalist. His book is a panegyric that turns Henry into something of a mythical patriotic figure. Indeed, near the end of his book, Wirt describes his subject as “the celebrated Patrick Henry of Virginia; a man who justly deserves to be ranked among the highest ornaments, and noblest benefactors of his country.” That fawning praise is all well and good, and maybe Patrick Henry even deserved it. Unfortunately, neither Henry’s greatness nor Wirt’s admiration are substitutes for having an accurate text of his speech.
Yes, we can thank Wirt for (many years later) interviewing people who knew Henry personally and compiling details about the man’s life that otherwise might be forgotten.
At the same time, by imagining that Patrick Henry said things like “There is no longer any room for hope,” or “The next gale that sweeps from the north, will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms,” Wirt created the impression that Patrick Henry was a fire-breathing, passionate fear-monger. Wirt created a character, not a historical figure. Nothing is more at odds with what history knows about Patrick Henry’s oratory. We do have accurate texts of several of Patrick Henry’s speeches; all of them are calm, well-reasoned, and thoughtful. Patrick Henry spoke during the Age of Reason. His audience, which included future presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, could not possibly have been impressed by the rantings of a lunatic. Instead, they were concerned with fact and reason. More likely than not, in real life, that is exactly what Patrick Henry gave them. Only the murkiness of the past led anyone to think otherwise.
On a future occasion, I hope to write about one or more of Patrick Henry’s real speeches. In the meantime, it does a great disservice to Henry’s memory to portray him as the overwrought creature of a later, more romantic age. The founders of our republic, who were well-versed in political theory and history, were interested in creating a sound, well-governed republic. When we honor the United States of America’s founders, let us not join Wirt by imposing upon them the values of a less rational era. These people were leaders, not seething demagogues. Today, in the 21st Century, the partisanship against which those men often warned threatens to tear our nation to pieces. This would be a good time to harken back to the values of reasoned, calm, and logical discourse.
Did Patrick Henry Warn Us About Donald Trump?
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P.S. In an important research article, my distinguished colleague Judy Hample argues that “Liberty or Death” has “cultural authenticity” even though it lacks “textual authenticity.” What do you think? Feel free to comment below.
