Patrick Henry's 'Liberty or Death' speech turns 250 on Sunday
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A recent reenactment of Patrick Henry's famous speech at St. John's Church. Image: Courtesy of Virginia 250 Commission
Sunday is the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's legendary "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech.
Why it matters: The speech, which helped galvanize Virginians to rise up against British rule, was delivered right here in Richmond, at St. John's Church in Church Hill.
- And the Virginia 250 Commission is planning a series of events this weekend to celebrate the anniversary and the state's role in the Revolutionary War.
The big picture: Many of the men who would become the nation's Founding Fathers gathered in Richmond in March 1775 for an "extralegal" week-long convention, according to St. John's Church, then Henrico Parish Church.
- They, nearly all sons and grandsons of immigrants, met in the "Town of Richmond in the County of Henrico" as opposed to Williamsburg (the then-state capital) to be away from British-controlled state officials.
- Midway through the convention, Henry — born and raised in Hanover — stood and gave his famous speech.
- Less than a month later, the Revolutionary War began, and "liberty or death" became the war's rallying cry.
Zoom in: On Sunday at 1:30pm, the same date and time as the OG speech, St. John's Church will host a reenactment, as it does regularly. But this one is extra special.
- Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, will open the reenactment. It's his first public appearance for his new series, "The American Revolution," which airs on PBS in November.
- The in-person event is sold out, but va250.org will live-stream it for free.
- Sunday night, Burns and his co-director Sarah Botstein are hosting a screening of the doc at Altria, followed by a discussion of the film. Tickets for that are still available and start at $33.
Other upcoming events for the anniversary include:
- An outdoor discussion of Burns' documentary with Burns and his other co-director David Schmidt on the lawn of the historic Governor's Palace in Williamsburg on Tuesday at 8pm. Free.
- Liberty or Death: A Conversation with Patrick Henry, the fifth grandson of the 18th century Henry, in Campbell County on Saturday. Free.
- Meet Patrick Henry: Go Back in Time with an actor portraying Henry, at the Chesterfield Courthouse Road library on March 29. Free.