A Parliament Speech by Patrick Henry: Taking a Closer Look at It

In March of 1775, Patrick Henry’s speech on the Parliament’s treatment of the American colonists due to the harsh mandated British taxation and acts that clearly supported the mother country rather than supporting America. The acts that the British Parliament placed upon the Americans pushed the Americans to really look at themselves differently, which ultimately lead them to believe that the colonists were not British, they were American. They realized that they needed to gain freedom; they could not wait any longer. “The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.”

Parliament claims they did what was financially necessary to benefit the mother country, and appease the colonies. All Parliament did was benefit their country; they did not give a second thought to benefit the colonists. After all, the people who migrated to America early on basically gave their life for what the country came to be. In the Parliament’s eyes, why support it? It was just money in their eyes. Taxation of every little thing became almost became a norm in the colonists’ eye. They knew what needed to be done.

The colonist’s being unpatriotic and unappreciative citizens is a complete slander of what the colonies stood to be. Parliament did not even view them as British, that is, until the colonists decided they needed representation in the court, and then they declared them British. Under usual circumstances, the colonists were not viewed as British. Instead, they were viewed as poor, low-life scum, who weren’t able to make it in Britain, and had to leave to make money because they weren’t able to make money there. “They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary,” Henry even goes on to state that the British make claims that the colonists were weak. The colonists only made themselves seem weak to not gain punishment.

The colonists needed to go to war against the British. “…Have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament,” Henry claims that Britain’s tyranny is no longer in play; that the colonists will not take the mistreatment anymore. “Why stand we here idle,” why should the colonists stand around and wait? Henry states that they are ready to go to war, that war is inevitable, and that in the end, it is liberty or death. “…give me liberty or give me death!”