Latest news with #PatrickHenry
Axios
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Richmond rallies targeting Elon Musk and Trump policies grow
The resistance of 2025 may not be wearing a pink knitted cap — but it's alive in town halls, on the streets, at state capitals and outside of car dealerships across the country and here at home. Why it matters: What started in Richmond as a one-day demonstration for the nationwide " 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day" movement has grown into almost weekly rallies drawing hundreds of locals. State of play: The activity in Richmond kicked off on February 5 with the #50501Movement protest at the State Capitol, which was organized by the volunteer-led Virginia chapter of the group. Since then, there's been a Presidents Day protest, a demonstration against federal jobs cuts, and two rallies outside of Richmond's Tesla dealership. There was a women's rights march, a rally for trans people and, notably, locals turned out en masse and surrounded St. John's Church on the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's " Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech. The big picture: The early moves of President Trump 's second term and DOGE cuts have pulled a wide range of Americans into the political crosshairs, from National Parks Service workers to Social Security recipients to the transgender community. "One of the miscalculations ... in their flood-the-zone strategy is when you flood the zone, you hit everyone," said Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the progressive Working Families Party. That's brought previously uninvolved people into resistance efforts, Mitchell said. What we're hearing: One leader of the #50501Movement's state chapter told us 400-600 people from all backgrounds and ages are showing up at the Richmond protests. "I see veterans, I see teachers. I see federal workers, scientists, librarians. Why are all these people here today? And it's because we're all scared at how the country is moving," Jim Wade, an attendee of the Tesla protest last Saturday, told WTVR." The state #50501 chapter has three general "demands": opposing an expansion of executive power, protecting the constitution and opposing fascism. But the biggest issue for Richmond protestors appears to be the billionaire head of Tesla and DOGE chief Elon Musk. Of note: #TeslaTakedown protests have been bubbling up across the country since the start of Trump's second term, including the two in Richmond. What they're saying:"I think a great wrong is being done to the people of Tesla and to our customers," Musk told Fox News in an interview last week.
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
‘Liberty or death' wasn't Patrick Henry's most important advice for Americans
On March 23, I went to Historic St. John's Church in Richmond to travel back in time. That Sunday marked the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's speech to the Second Virginia Convention. Henry believed war with Britain was inevitable and punctuated his call for Virginia to establish an independent militia with his declaration 'I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!' I wanted to see what it felt like to hear those words from the pews where the delegates would have absorbed them 2½ centuries ago. And in collaboration with St. John's Church, I also wanted to ask attendees what Henry's words mean to them today. The Letters and Community team will be posing questions like these in the run-up to July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Independence, as America looks back to its founding — and forward, as we consider how those original ideals, conflicts and words carry us into the future. Alyssa Rosenberg, letters and community editor Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The conversation we need We tend to overlook how fraught the Revolutionary period was. Those colonists who spoke for revolution, who otherwise supported and fought for revolution, risked everything. It is hard to fully grasp all they stood to lose: property, stature, livelihood and lives. Everyone understood that the British crown had the money, the power and the army to crush any resistance. We can convince ourselves that such courageous choices in the face of real personal danger were made easier because there was such camaraderie and consensus among the individuals involved. But that is not the real story. There were many bitter rivalries among the principals. Thomas Jefferson was pea-green with envy about Patrick Henry and considered him a braggart who nevertheless could move a crowd. George Mason and George Washington came to disagree intensely about a Bill of Rights for their fledgling nation and went to their dying days never speaking again. Deep divisions existed throughout all the colonies over religion, politics, ethnicity, status and class, slavery. Colonists were divided over whether resistance to the crown, much less revolution, was treasonous. The truth is that the revolutionary movement, like all great movements forward in this country, did not occur because everyone agreed. Great movements forward occur because a common cause becomes more important than individual differences and disappointments. Great courage was required by men such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Washington, George Mason and James Madison. And so were forbearance and tolerance, patience and perspective. Throughout all time and across the face of the Earth, ours is the only nation not founded on ethnicity or territory or religion. Ours is the only nation in human history founded on ideas, ideals and a system of government. When we do not know our history, when we do not care who or what came before us, when we no longer understand the foundation upon which our nation is built, then we do not know why we are Americans. And our differences — which have always existed — tear us apart, because we have no national identity that holds us together. We must reconnect Americans to who and where we come from. We must reengage Americans who do not think our founding ideals or system of government has anything to do with them. We must reinspire our fellow citizens and remind them what it means to be an American. Carly Fiorina, Lorton, Virginia The writer is the national honorary chair of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. This letter is adapted from her March 23 remarks at Historic St. John's Church. A forgotten line I had the privilege of portraying Patrick Henry at our reenactment of the Second Virginia Convention at Historic St. John's Church on March 23. One of the lessons that I and others in the cast hope to impart to our audiences is reflected in the first line of Henry's speech: 'No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as the abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house.' The delegates at the convention engaged in a civil but passionate debate on Henry's resolutions to create a militia. The delegates respected one another, recognizing that all of them, even the ones who did not support Henry's resolutions, were patriots risking their lives and property simply by being present. In my opinion, civil and respectful debate is lacking in today's political discourse. I and other cast members hope the audience understood that there was a time when big ideas were discussed and debated openly without personally offending or belittling people on the other side. Henry believed it was his duty to express his opinion. He stated that otherwise, he would consider himself 'guilty of treason toward [his] country and an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven,' whom he revered above 'all earthly kings.' Anyone who was offended by the peaceful demonstrators who stationed themselves on the streets outside the church and on the church grounds during the reenactment and commemoration to express their opinions about how they want to be governed might have missed the point of Henry's speech: It is our duty to be active and engaged citizens to maintain our republic and not return to a monarchy, as Benjamin Franklin cautioned in 1787 after he signed the Constitution. Witnessing the peaceful and passionate demonstration before entering the church to recreate a 250-year-old moment and speaking to attendees and others after the presentation left me hopeful that Americans are still ready to fulfill that obligation. Christopher Dunn, Richmond Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The fight for freedom That speech means the same thing to me today as the original meant to Patrick Henry 250 years ago. We the people have an obligation to defend our rights when they are being trampled on. Thank God that we don't have to do it with bayonets and muskets anymore! We are free Americans! We do it through the peaceful protests I saw outside the church, through the respectful speeches and reenactment I saw inside the church, and most important, through the ballot box. God bless America! William Benedetti, Midlothian, Virginia Freedom was very important to Patrick Henry, who lived in a time with a lot of self-governance and liked it. Unfortunately, people today take freedom for granted. Henry knew it would be very valuable, and needed to be nourished and protected vigilantly. We need to be reminded that freedom is not free. Doug Rucker, Richmond Patrick Henry was willing to take great risk and make sacrifices for the cause of liberty, and thus he played a major role in the birth of this nation. It inspires me to ask: Do we have the same courage today to stand up for liberty? H. Benson Dendy III, Richmond The writer is a member of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. The leaders we miss On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry and some of the delegates to the Second Virginia Convention knew the war had already started; others, such as Edmund Pendleton, were urging patience. Henry spoke directly about the threat of tyranny. He embraced that Boston's fight was Virginia's fight. He inspired delegates to act in the name of their fledgling country. Today, a conflict is underway. It seems so sad that our leaders, whether Democratic or Republican, lack the individual courage to act with the resolve and clarity Henry displayed. Collectively, they act like sheep running to the shepherd or away from the wolf. Ultimately, the shepherd might want to eat his lambs for dinner. And the wolf might want the warmth or company of another being. These are sad times. Billy McGuire, Manakin Sabot, Virginia Story continues below advertisement Advertisement A forgotten legacy Patrick Henry's famous speech was certainly a rouser. In the Virginia history textbook I studied in my seventh-grade public school more than 60 years ago, Henry was depicted as a great hero. But it's interesting that the speech is probably a reconstructed pastiche. One line of the peroration, though unattributed, is probably borrowed, whether by Henry himself or the people who reconstructed his speech after the fact: 'Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace — but there is no peace.' This is an almost verbatim echo of two prophets of the Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. But it might be too harsh to call Henry a plagiarist. He tended to wear his religion on his sleeve, to the irritation of Thomas Jefferson, drafter of the bill that became the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Jefferson said his bill attempted to assure religious liberty to 'the Jew, the Gentile, the Christian, the Mahometan, the Hindoo, and [the] infidel of every denomination.' The legislation barred compelled worship, religious discrimination and public funding of religion. Henry in turn offered a bill that would have provided tax funding for 'Teachers of the Christian Religion,' though taxpayers would have been able to select the recipients of their taxes. Jefferson's ally James Madison secured passage of Jefferson's bill in the legislature. Jefferson was so proud of his statute that he named it on his tombstone as one of his three greatest accomplishments. It remains in the Virginia law books today, while Henry's famous speech is shrouded in doubt. And what might the Prince of Peace have thought of his would-be promoter's warmongering, even in service of independence? I'll go with Jefferson and real religious liberty for all. Tom Edmondson, Alexandria
NBC News
23-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
'Give me liberty or give me death' is 250 years old. Here's what that meant in 1775.
The phrase 'Give me liberty or give me death!' has been expressed by protesters from the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising in China to those who opposed COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. in 2020. Malcolm X referenced it in his 1964 'Ballot or the Bullet' speech, demanding equal rights for Black Americans. President Donald Trump quoted it on his Truth Social platform last year, lambasting a judge during his criminal hush money trial. The phrase was reportedly first used 250 years ago Sunday by lawyer and legislator Patrick Henry to persuade Virginia colonists to prepare for war against an increasingly punitive Great Britain, just weeks before the American Revolution. Tensions were coming to a boil, particularly in Massachusetts, where the British replaced elected officials, occupied Boston and shuttered the harbor. 'The entire episode was about helping our brethren in Massachusetts,' said historian John Ragosta, who wrote a book on Henry. 'It's about the community. It's about the nation. It's not about, 'What do I get out of this personally?'' The printed version of Henry's galvanizing speech in a crowded church was about 1,200 words. And yet those seven words have survived the centuries like a line from a Shakespeare play. It's a very malleable phrase,' said Patrick Henry Jolly, a fifth great grandson of Henry. 'It's something that can be applied to many different circumstances. But I think it's important that people understand the original context.' Jolly is set to reenact Henry's speech Sunday in the same church where his ancestor delivered it. The presentation, which will be streamed online, is part of Virginia's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's birth. Here's more information on Henry and his speech: Who was Patrick Henry? Born to an influential Virginia family in 1736, Henry became a successful trial lawyer in his 20s. According to the Library of Congress, he once astonished a courtroom with an argument that 'man is born with certain inalienable rights,' an idea echoed in the Declaration of Independence. In 1765, Henry won a seat in Virginia's colonial legislature. He was instrumental in opposing Great Britain's Stamp Act, which levied a direct tax on the American colonies to raise money for Britain. As tensions increased, many Americans felt like second-class citizens with no representation in parliament, Ragosta said. By the time of Henry's speech, many were thinking: 'The king won't listen to us. They've invaded Boston. What should we in Virginia do about that?' Did he really say it? In his 2004 book, 'Founding Myths,' historian Ray Raphael wrote 'it is highly unlikely' Henry said, 'Give me liberty or give me death!' Henry did not write down the speech and the version we know today was published 42 years later in an 1817 biography of him. The biographer, attorney William Wirt, pieced together Henry's words from the decades-old recollections of people who were there. The printed version, Raphael wrote, 'reflects the agendas of 19th century nationalists who were fond of romanticizing war.' But other historians said there is ample evidence Henry uttered those words. 'We have multiple people, years later, saying, 'I remember like it was yesterday,'' Ragosta said, adding that Thomas Jefferson was one of them. They recalled Henry lifting a letter opener that looked like a dagger and plunging it under his arm as if into his chest before saying the famous phrase. 'That's 18th century oratory,' Ragosta said. "It's very impassioned.' Jon Kukla, another historian who wrote a book on Henry, cited other evidence. Men in Virginia's militias soon embroidered their heavy canvas shirts with 'liberty or death.' The popular 1712 play 'Cato' about a Roman senator also contains the line, 'It is not now a time to talk of aught, but chains or conquest, liberty or death.' 'It would have been part of the literate culture of the age,' Kukla said. What happened next? The most immediate impact of Henry's speech was more support for independence and the expansion of Virginia's militias. In the months afterward, Henry and others also were driven by fears that the British would free enslaved people, Raphael suggests in 'Founding Myths.' Virginia's royal governor, Lord Dunmore, offered freedom to enslaved people who fought for the British. But Ragosta said that was not a primary motivation for Henry, who enslaved dozens of people. 'That does move a lot of people off the fence into the patriot column, undoubtedly,' Ragosta said. 'But that's not really what's going on with the Jeffersons, the Washingtons, the Henrys. They had already been very committed to the patriot movement.' Following independence, Henry served as Virginia's governor five times. He also became known as an anti-federalist, opposing ratification of the U.S. Constitution and a strong central government. But Henry later spoke in support of the founding document at George Washington's urging in 1799, the year Henry died. 'He says, 'Look, I voted against the Constitution, but we the people voted for it. And so we have to abide by it,'' Ragosta said. Liberty versus license Jolly, Henry's descendant, said most people react positively to his ancestor's famous words and acknowledge their historical significance. 'And there are some people that react thinking that it's a rallying cry for them today to defend their rights — on both sides of the aisle,' Jolly said. Yet Henry and his contemporaries were careful to distinguish liberty from license, said Kukla, the historian. 'Liberty, as they understood it, was not the freedom to do anything you damn well pleased,' Kukla said.
The Independent
23-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Famous quote ‘Give me liberty or give me death' turns 250 years old - here is its origins
The phrase 'Give me liberty or give me death!' has become commonplace in politics and life. It's part of Americana and helps define its people. Now, the quote is celebrating a major milestone as it marks its 250th anniversary. The phrase was reportedly first used 250 years ago Sunday by lawyer and legislator Patrick Henry to persuade Virginia colonists to prepare for war against an increasingly punitive Great Britain, just weeks before the American Revolution. Tensions were coming to a boil, particularly in Massachusetts, where the British replaced elected officials, occupied Boston and shuttered the harbor. 'The entire episode was about helping our brethren in Massachusetts,' said historian John Ragosta, who wrote a book on Henry. 'It's about the community. It's about the nation. It's not about, 'What do I get out of this personally?'' The printed version of Henry's galvanizing speech in a crowded church was about 1,200 words. And yet those seven words have survived the centuries like a line from a Shakespeare play. 'It's a very malleable phrase,' said Patrick Henry Jolly, a fifth great grandson of Henry. 'It's something that can be applied to many different circumstances. But I think it's important that people understand the original context.' Jolly is set to reenact Henry's speech Sunday in the same church where his ancestor delivered it. The presentation, which will be streamed online, is part of Virginia's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's birth. Here's more information on Henry and his speech: Who was Patrick Henry? Born to an influential Virginia family in 1736, Henry became a successful trial lawyer in his 20s. According to the Library of Congress, he once astonished a courtroom with an argument that 'man is born with certain inalienable rights,' an idea echoed in the Declaration of Independence. In 1765, Henry won a seat in Virginia's colonial legislature. He was instrumental in opposing Great Britain's Stamp Act, which levied a direct tax on the American colonies to raise money for Britain. As tensions increased, many Americans felt like second-class citizens with no representation in parliament, Ragosta said. By the time of Henry's speech, many were thinking: "The king won't listen to us. They've invaded Boston. What should we in Virginia do about that?" Did he really say it? In his 2004 book, 'Founding Myths,' historian Ray Raphael wrote 'it is highly unlikely' Henry said, 'Give me liberty or give me death!' Henry did not write down the speech and the version we know today was published 42 years later in an 1817 biography of him. The biographer, attorney William Wirt, pieced together Henry's words from the decades-old recollections of people who were there. The printed version, Raphael wrote, 'reflects the agendas of 19th century nationalists who were fond of romanticizing war.' But other historians said there is ample evidence Henry uttered those words. 'We have multiple people, years later, saying, 'I remember like it was yesterday,'" Ragosta said, adding that Thomas Jefferson was one of them. They recalled Henry lifting a letter opener that looked like a dagger and plunging it under his arm as if into his chest before saying the famous phrase. 'That's 18th century oratory," Ragosta said. 'It's very impassioned." Jon Kukla, another historian who wrote a book on Henry, cited other evidence. Men in Virginia's militias soon embroidered their heavy canvas shirts with 'liberty or death.' The popular 1712 play 'Cato' about a Roman senator also contains the line, 'It is not now a time to talk of aught, but chains or conquest, liberty or death." 'It would have been part of the literate culture of the age,' Kukla said. What happened next? The most immediate impact of Henry's speech was more support for independence and the expansion of Virginia's militias. In the months afterward, Henry and others also were driven by fears that the British would free enslaved people, Raphael suggests in 'Founding Myths." Virginia's royal governor, Lord Dunmore, offered freedom to enslaved people who fought for the British. But Ragosta said that was not a primary motivation for Henry, who enslaved dozens of people. 'That does move a lot of people off the fence into the patriot column, undoubtedly,' Ragosta said. 'But that's not really what's going on with the Jeffersons, the Washingtons, the Henrys. They had already been very committed to the patriot movement.' Following independence, Henry served as Virginia's governor five times. He also became known as an anti-federalist, opposing ratification of the U.S. Constitution and a strong central government. But Henry later spoke in support of the founding document at George Washington's urging in 1799, the year Henry died. 'He says, 'Look, I voted against the Constitution, but we the people voted for it. And so we have to abide by it,'' Ragosta said. Liberty versus license Jolly, Henry's descendant, said most people react positively to his ancestor's famous words and acknowledge their historical significance. 'And there are some people that react thinking that it's a rallying cry for them today to defend their rights — on both sides of the aisle,' Jolly said. Yet Henry and his contemporaries were careful to distinguish liberty from license, said Kukla, the historian. 'Liberty, as they understood it, was not the freedom to do anything you damn well pleased," Kukla said.
Chicago Tribune
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Obama signs the Affordable Care Act
Today is Sunday, March 23, the 82nd day of 2025. There are 283 days left in the year. Today in history: On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, a $938 billion health care overhaul. Also on this date: In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which it is said he declared, 'Give me liberty, or give me death!' In 1919, Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy. In 1933, the German Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, which effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers. In 1942, the first Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. Army during World War II arrived at the internment camp at Manzanar, California. In 1965, America's first two-person space mission took place as Gemini 3 blasted off with astronauts Virgil I. 'Gus' Grissom and John W. Young aboard for a nearly 5-hour flight orbiting Earth. In 1993, scientists announced they'd identified the gene that causes Huntington's disease. In 1998, 'Titanic' tied an Academy Awards record by winning 11 Oscars, including best picture, best director for James Cameron and best original song for 'My Heart Will Go On.' In 2021, a cargo ship the size of a skyscraper ran aground and became wedged in the Suez Canal; hundreds of ships would be prevented from passing through the canal until the vessel was freed six days later. Today's Birthdays: Singer Chaka Khan is 72. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma is 71. Fashion designer Kenneth Cole is 71. Actor Amanda Plummer is 68. Actor Hope Davis is 61. Musician Damon Albarn is 57. Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd is 52. Actor Randall Park is 51. Actor Michelle Monaghan is 49. Actor Keri Russell is 49. Country singer Brett Young is 44.
