Liberty is something that most people in the present day take for granted. However, in most countries around the world, the people had to independence themselves from their rulers, as was the case in the United States of America. These movements were led by brave patriots, including Patrick Henry in this country. He took extraordinary risks to openly approach British rule because he knew that they were being oppressed and wanted a great future for him and his family, even if his actions meant danger for them.
His domestic situation was quite complicated. He had several children with Sarah Shelton. According to Dr. Rose Gallenberger, “Henry's wife, Sarah Shelton Henry, dealt with depression and violent outbursts”. Even though the usual way of dealing with these situations was for the person to be sent off to a public mental institution, after visiting it, Henry decided that it was not suitable for his wife. Thus, he looked after her in his own house. “Henry (or a domestic slave when he was away on business) took care of Sarah” (Wikipedia). As one can see, he had great love for his family.
Then, why did he choose to go through with such violent opposition to British rule? His times were complicated, yet he saw that the situation could be better, as with his wife. Notorious, he stated that he should be given either liberty or death, showing the great passion that he had towards this cause, even if he had a family to take care of. Wikipedia states that this famous speech was due to “the House undecided on whether to mobilize for military action against the encroaching British military force, Henry argued in favor of mobilization”. Therefore, it was this great hesitation on the part of his peers that made him have to take such drastic actions, which are still remembered to this day. He wanted a better future for all, and he knew that he would have to play tough to obtain it.
Works Cited
Gallenberger, Rose. “Patrick and Sarah Henry: Mental illness in 18th century America.” The National Museum of American History. 2 Jul. 2015. Web. 01 Sep. 2016. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/patrick-and-sarah-henry-mental-illness-18th-century-america>.
“Patrick Henry.” Wikipedia. n.d. Web. 01 Sep. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Henry>.
