During my recent flights to and from Birmingham, I reread this fascinating account of the life of Patrick Henry, whose oratory ("Give me liberty or give me death") is forever linked with the cause of American independence.
But he was so much more than a speech-maker. His accomplishments might surprise you. For one, as governor of Virginia, in 1785 he prevented citizens in southern Virginia (yes, exactly where I live) from creating a new state with parts of North Carolina. I had no idea! For another, he was an original trustee of Hampden-Sydney College (founded in 1775), which is only a stone's throw away from Farmville, where (it seems) I spend half my life either running or cycling. Noted alumni and/or students of the college include talk show host Stephen Colbert, theologian Dwight Pentecost of Dallas Theological Seminary and the pastor in whose church Becky and I got married in 1976, and well-known apologist Francis Schaeffer, under whom I had the privilege of studying ever so briefly during my sojourn in Switzerland from 1980-1983. Henry also believed in religious liberty, defending the religious minorities of Virginia (like us Baptists) even as he personally enjoyed the rich tradition of the Church of England. I think he would have made a great president, though he was so anti-Federalist that he probably never would been able to take the job without compromising his convictions.
For a report on my visit to Henry's home, Red Hill, in nearby Charlotte County, go here.
Thanks for reading!