ABSTRACT

Undoubtedly, Henry’s most well-known legacy is his eloquence, the stirring words which he spoke to encourage his countrymen toward a revolution. In 1824, even Jefferson, by that time a bitter political enemy, conceded that in the early days of the struggle, “It was to him that we were indebted for the unanimity that prevailed among us. He would address the assemblages of people … in such strains of native eloquence as Homer wrote in.” Henry “was far before all in maintaining the spirit of the Revolution.” He was the essential voice that could speak to, and for, the people of Virginia and of America, the common farmer and tradesman. It was the faith that the people placed in Henry that made him effective, but it was his genius, and his deep empathy for the people, that produced that faith. In recognition of these efforts, Henry has oft en been referred to as the “trumpet” of the American Revolution (with Washington the “sword” and Jefferson the “pen”). There is a danger, though, that glib titles can hide the nature and depth of Henry’s contributions, including the significance of his famous speeches. 1