Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?

While his primary claim to historical fame was his "Give my liberty or give me death" speech, Patrick Henry was also one of the most influential of the founding fathers of the United States. The governor of the then dominant state of Virginia during the American Revolution, his was a strong voice for the rebellion against King George and then against the constitution until the Bill of Rights was added. This book, a member of the Weekly Reader series for children, sums up his life. Like many people who achieved greatness, his early life demonstrated none of what was to come. His greatness began to appear in a case he was arguing before the court, he won and was very impressive to all who were in attendance. Patrick Henry is a figure from the past that all American school children should learn about. His influence was great and this book brings it all together in a style ideal for the young learner.

My assumption was that the answer to the question "Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?" would be on the floor of the House of Burgesses in Virginia, making his famous declaration, "give me liberty or give me death!" But that actually a speech at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia and the date was the 23rd of March in 1775. I am sure others who know a little something about Patrick Henry would make the same assumption. So the question for anybody reading this book really is "Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?" The answer that Jean Fritz provides is that it depends because this book looks at several 29ths of May. The first is May 29, 1736 when Patrick Henry had just been born wand was likely crying in his bed drowning out the birdsong. The next May 29th comes in 1752, when Henry turns sixteen, when he was old enough to be counted among the men in Virginia. To be clear, Fritz does fill in the gaps between those two dates, and he does the same for the years leading up to the next May 29th, which comes in 1765, when he is indeed speaking on the floor of the House of Burgresses in Virginia. On May 29, 1777, he was elected for a second time as Virginia's governor, while in 1796 the 60-year-old Henry had retired from public life, three years before he died. Henry was one of the leading opponents of the ratification of the Federal Constitution, but Fritz makes a point of turning his opposition into an argument for the adoption of the Bill of Rights. I must admit I was a disappointed a little because I thought this book would look only at Henry on a series of dates that were all the 29th of May, so I was actually surprised that all of the gaps got filled in along the way because it would be a neat idea to do an entire life looking at just one date that cover events both large and small. But even so, Fritz provides a nice mix of details that are both humorous and humanizing (Henry was a practical joker), along with insights about the Revolution. This is one of several biographies that Fritz has written about major figures of the American Revolution, which include "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?" and "Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?" Both of those particular books were chosen as an Outstanding Book of the Year by the "New York Times," which is not surprising given Fritz's approach. Artist Margot Tomes provided the humorous drawings for not only this book but also for the aforementioned one on Paul Revere.

I just recently read this gem by Jean Fritz, my new favorite nonfiction author, not that thats all she does. This book tells of Patrick Henry, the untalented failure who manages to find a career as a GREAT lawyer. Patrick Henry was a trickster as a child(example: he turns a canoe over with a group of unexpected friends inside it). As I said before, he wasn't very talented, except, well, he had a good voice. But could one use a good voice on a resume(even if resumes didnt exist then). No, someone couldn't. First he tried storekeeping, but found that didn't work. Then there was farming. But that didnt work either.I just realized that I havent told of Patrick's wedding. Yes, our hero was wedded to Ms. Sarah Sheldon. But then Henry tries the lawyer-ing biz, and it strangely works. Read about his most famous cases and his later gorverning career. Though Margot Tomes isn't my favorite illustrator, I cant imagine anyone else illustrating this book Fritz vs. Freedman. You decide.

Jean Fritz makes history intersting for all ages. She has an uncanny way of seeing a historical figure as a real person with a well-rounded life that encapsulates more than just what he or she did in public. The life of her subject is of more importance than dates and events. Somehow this shift of emphasis makes the dates more memorable. She tells her story fresh, not told in the typical detached fashion. Her research and enthusiasm for her subjects make the stories come alive in interesting ways for today's student reader and interested adult.

An interesting twist on a children's biography of theRevolutionary War hero Patrick Henry. The device of the "29th ofMay" is used to tie the various parts of Henry's life together--from his childhood in the wilds of the Virginia countryside to his famous patriotic activities to his retirement at Red Hill. His failures as well as his successes are discussed, allowing children to see a more authentic character than many easy-read biographies. Notes from the author at the end of the book give more historical details.