QuoteQuest“Give me liberty, or give me death!”
— Patrick Henry, 1775
Verification
DisputedAuthenticity or wording is questioned by historians.
No transcript was made at the time. The text was reconstructed by biographer William Wirt in 1817, over 40 years later, from recollections.
Source
- Title
- Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry (William Wirt)
- Type
- book · Secondary source
- Date
- 1817
- Held by
- Project Gutenberg
Context
Said to have been spoken at the Second Virginia Convention, 23 March 1775.
What it means
A choice to risk everything for freedom rather than accept British rule.
Cite this source
Henry, Patrick. (1817). Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry (William Wirt). Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=patrick+henry+wirt
Check citations against your institution's style guide; some details may be missing.
Provenance: Based on historians' assessment of Wirt's 1817 biography.