Post #148650 by freddiefreelance on Wed, Mar 23, 2005 6:11 AM

Patrick Henry, a Virginia attorney & member of the House of Burgesses, was one of the most influential (and radical) advocates of revolution in the Colonial American government. He propossed & passed the "Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions," a series of proposals based on principles that were well established British rights, such as the right to be taxed by one's own representatives. They went further, however, to assert that the colonial assemblies had the exclusive right to impose taxes on the colonies and could not assign that right. These proposals were thought of as (at best) anti-British, & (at worst) treasonous to the crown, mostly due to his inflamatory speech: "Caesar had his Brutus; Charles the First his Cromwell; and George the Third—" [Cries of "Treason! Treason!"]"George the Third may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it."

But Patrick Henry was most famous for his speech before the Second Virginia Convention, after the House of Burgesses was banned from meeting during the war, given in Saint John's Church in Richmond, Virginia: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

After the war was over Henry was a leading Antifederalist & stood in opposition to the Constitution & for the American Confederation that predated it. After he saw that his side was losing the debate against increased federal powers, he fought for the adoption of the Bill of Rights to amend the new Constitution to ameliorate those powers by giving increased power to the people.

He served as the first Governor of Virginia from 1776-79, and again from 1784-86, and died at Red Hill Plantation, Virginia, in 1799 at the age of 63.

Other Historical Highlights for today:

• 1839 - First recorded use of "OK" as an abbreviation for "oll korrect" in the Boston Morning Post.
• 1848 - The Ship John Wickliffe arrives at Port Chalmers carrying the first Scottish settlers for Dunedin, New Zealand. Otago province is founded.Noted residents of the town include Maori artist Ralph Hotere.
• 1857 - Elisha Otis's first elevator is installed at 488 Broadway, New York City, making the modern cityscape possible.
• 1903 - The Wright Brothers apply for a patent on their invention of the first successful airplane after much hard work.
• 1910 - Akira Kurosawa, film director, is Born (d. 1998)
• 1912 - Wernher von Braun, physicist and engineer, is Born (d. 1977)
• 1935 - Signing of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
• 1952 - Kim Stanley Robinson, science fiction author, is Born
• 1964 - Peter Lorre, actor, Died(b. 1904)
• 1965 - NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).
• 1989 - Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce cold fusion at the University of Utah. Their methods & assumptions are later questioned, but the excess energy created in their experiments still hasn't been explained.
• 2001 - The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji.