Patrick Henry
Today in History: Patrick Henry Becomes Virginia’s First Governor Under Its Own Constitution
Today in 1776, Patrick Henry was inaugurated as Virginia’s first governor. The event marked the first time in history where a republican governor took office under a constitution written and ratified by representatives of the people. By June of the same year, civil...
We’ve Brought the Founders’ Greatest Fear to Life
We have brought the founding generation’s greatest fear to life. That fear was centralization of power. One of the most forceful arguments against ratifying the Constitution revolved around what founders called “consolidation.” They feared that the...
Patrick Henry vs the Stamp Act
On his 29th birthday – May 29, 1765 – Patrick Henry introduced a series of resolutions against the Stamp Act. In a speech the following day to encourage passage of the resolutions, Henry made his famous “If this be treason…” statement. A...
The 10th Amendment and the Virginia Ratifying Convention
In Virginia, there was pretty fierce debate over the ratification of the Constitution. The principle of delegated and reserved powers – which eventually became the 10th Amendment – was a big focus of people like James Madison, George Mason, Patrick Henry,...