Which Virginia patriot declared, 'I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!'?

Which Virginia patriot declared, 'I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!'?

• A. Patrick Henry
• B. Thomas Jefferson
• C. George Mason
• D. James Madison

Answer: (A)

Patrick Henry, a Virginia patriot and famous orator, spoke those words at the Virginia Convention in 1775 to press for decisive action toward independence. The line became a rallying cry for liberty, signaling a willingness to risk everything rather than live under British control. While Thomas Jefferson later drafted the Declaration of Independence, George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and James Madison helped frame the Constitution, this particular sentence is Henry’s and captures the heated, urgent mood of Virginia as the colonies moved toward independence.

Patrick Henry, a Virginia patriot and famous orator, spoke those words at the Virginia Convention in 1775 to press for decisive action toward independence. The line became a rallying cry for liberty, signaling a willingness to risk everything rather than live under British control. While Thomas Jefferson later drafted the Declaration of Independence, George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and James Madison helped frame the Constitution, this particular sentence is Henry’s and captures the heated, urgent mood of Virginia as the colonies moved toward independence.