A Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic

Patrick Henry is one of the forgotten founding fathers despite heralding one of the most famous lines of the revolution "Give me Liberty or give me Death". His role in military affairs, government as an anti-federalist, and as governor of Virginia was pivotal acts in the revolution. Henry served with George Mason as the primary anti-federalist and arguing against the addition of a large government with enumerated powers and felt the only way to defend liberty was through a bill of rights. This bill would guarantee the peoples freedoms against an encroaching government. Patrick Henry was the master of back door politics despite his distaste for it and even carried on an illegal war in the Virginia back county almost leading to a siege of Detroit. The state of Virginia at the time of the Civil War was largely through his efforts and his expedition that took significant territory from what might have been PA or MD. One of the most interesting parts of this book is the idea that Patrick Henry represented the common man and was truly the peoples voice during the debates in Virginia and Philadelphia always arguing for the rights. The author does a very good job of making this case and I find it very hard to refute. Henry's speaking ability was undisputed as a man of the people and a person who could get crowds energized and excited. He seemed to thrive off that attention using his background as a man of the people (not of the landed gentry) to draw his audience in. For those looking for a different take not often discussed in the literature and really seeing something from the anti-federalist point of view I highly recommend this book.

Excellent story telling of Patrick Henry's life, interactions in the political arenas, and his style in framing his cases.

A must read for anyone interested in Henry and the time period. It does go easy on Henry with his battles with Jefferson.

......he was a fictional character. A couple of years ago, I had this book on my desk, and a Nurse tried to argue with me to the effect that "Patrick Henry wasn't real". Poor soul, I never did convince her...Even if you accept that he was real, all you probably know is an eight second sound bite from an 8-10 minute speech. There was a LOT more to Mr. Henry than that. This was no enigmatic Tom Jefferson or glacially distant George Washington; Henry was the nicest, and most personable of men. What you saw was what you got. Oh, he was tough in the courtroom, and in legislative debate, but he was, in most ways, an ordinary man supporting his [large] family with an extraordinary talent. He had his troubles: the initial failures at running a tavern drove him to the law [Who were the three signers of his law license? That's still debated]...his first wife's long mental illness, and eventual death just as The Revolution was starting would have taxed any man. But, Henry had a mission, and kept going. At the time of "Liberty or Death", Patrick Henry had been a prominent legislator for ten years. Remember the "Stamp Act"?...And, before that, the "Parson's Cause", our first important court case on religious liberty? And after the famous speech...first elected Governor of Virginia...Militia Colonel...bitter opponent of ratification of the US Constitution...father [along with George Mason] of the "Bill of Rights". His ratification debates with John Marshall are the stuff of legend. Though Henry and Marshall were opponents, they remained friends, and law partners.[The famous Randolph murder case] Both were surpassingly nice guys. Henry was the father-in-law of Marshall's opponent, and enemy, Judge Spencer Roane. Marshall was so nice that his enemies liked him: Roane was so acidly unpleasant that even his friends couldn't stand him. Henry had but one real enemy, and that was his political ally, Mr. Jefferson. The circumstances go back to the aftermath of Jefferson's unhappy time as Governor. The story is beyond this review, but was probably a misunderstanding. These are the two men largely responsible for our own freedom of religion; very different men. Henry was a lifelong devout Christian, and loyal Anglican, the nephew of a Priest, the son of a Vestryman. But, he always supported liberty. He was taught toleration early by his "dissenter" mother. [Dissenter doesn't mean athiest: in Mrs. Henry's case, it means Presbyterian: in some cases, Baptist. Methodists weren't dissenters; they were considered a branch of the Anglicans].The "Parsons Cause" was far from his only court case on the matter. When Baptist minister John Weatherford was jailed in Chesterfield County, near where I live, for preaching the Gospel, Henry got him out of the charges, and quietly paid his costs.[Weatherford didn't find out till later who had paid his fines]. Baptists telling this story will usually leave out the fact that an Episcopalian lawyer got Weatherford out of the mess...Episco

When I was at the University of Virginia a few years ago, I went to a tent sale by the University Bookstore. Everything was on sale. I asked the lady in charge, Mary Kathryn Hassett, what was good. She pointed out Son of Thunder, telling me at the time, I beleive, that this was the only extensive biography ever written of Patrick Henry. The book totally kept me absorbed. I was struck by the politiking of the time; the courage of Patrick; his great sense of principle; his great human appetite; his charisma. The book is also a great history of the founding of the Republic and the stubborn courage of the anti-federalists. I was brought to tears.