Description
Patrick Henry, sometimes called the "Voice of the American Revolution" for his stirring oratory, has taken a relatively minor role in the modern historic discourse, both because of the difficulty of primary sources concerning Henry and because Henry's principled opposition to the new federal Constitution largely removed him from nation formation and the challenges of the 1790s. Yet, after leading the Virginia effort against the new federal constitution, and preferring to retire rather than accept a position in Washington's Administration, Patrick Henry accepted Washington's personal request that he re-enter politics in 1799 as a federalist to help save the nation from party strife. At the time, Thomas Jefferson, John Randolph, and others called Henry a traitor to principle. This project shows that, far from abandoning principle, Henry once again took to the lists to help save his country and country (Virginia) and what he understood to be a virtuous republic. Fall 2011 to Summer 2015, Academic Year 2016-2017
