In my personal opinion, Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention” is much more convincing in arguing for war with Great Britain than Thomas Paine’s “from The Crisis Number One” because Henry completely enveloped and captivated me. I felt as if I had my own personal time machine and had gone back to his time and had literally been there at his speech. I could feel the power and intensity filling the hall, I could smell the justice in the air, and could touch the power before my very eyes. It made me mad and enraged to go do something about the issue at hand, but then I remembered that that had already been taken care of a long long time ago. Thomas Paine’s speech was convincing and powerful too, but it was rather confusing at times. Paine says: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” (Page 174) I believe that this quote is a good standard for man as a race to live by and try to live up to. When he said this live in his speech, he must have encouraged hundreds of people who were depressed and blue to get up and pick up, and fight for freedom. However, this quote is forever and always topped by Henry saying: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Although it is shorter than Paine’s quote, it means a whole lot more. By those 7 short words, Henry expresses his complete and utter devotion to the cause and what he is willing to sacrifice for his country’s freedom- his own life.
Word Count: 290
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