Famous Patrick Henry Quotations

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me; give me liberty or give me death!"

by Patrick Henry

"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense"

by Patrick Henry

"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defence Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress If our defence be therealobject of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands"

by Patrick Henry

"Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom"

by Patrick Henry

"Give me liberty, or give me death."

by Patrick Henry

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined."

by Patrick Henry

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."

by Patrick Henry

"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

by Patrick Henry

"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

by Patrick Henry

"I know not what course others make take, but as for me: give me Liberty, or give me death"

by Patrick Henry

"I know of no way to judge the future but by the past."

by Patrick Henry

"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! by"

by Patrick Henry

"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"

by Patrick Henry

"It is natural for a man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut out eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms into beasts."

by Patrick Henry

"It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains"

by Patrick Henry

"The battle, Sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave"

by Patrick Henry

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests"

by Patrick Henry

"The great object is, that every man be armed. ... Every one who is able may have a gun."

by Patrick Henry

"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them"

by Patrick Henry

"We are now able to see things in nature of what was previously only available in computer simulation."

by Patrick Henry

"We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power... the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

by Patrick Henry

"We know Virginia is NASCAR country."

by Patrick Henry

"I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion."

by Patrick Henry

"Perfect freedom is as necessary to the health and vigor of commerce as it is to the health and vigor of citizenship."

by Patrick Henry

"Religion I have disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give to them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one cent, they would be rich. If they have not that, and I had given them the world, they would be poor."

by Patrick Henry

"The officers of Congress, may come upon you now, fortified with all the terrors of paramount federal authority. Excisemen taxmen may come in multitudes; for the limitation of their numbers no man knows. They may, unless the general government be restrained ... go into your cellars and rooms, and search, ransack, and measure, everything you eat, drink, and wear."

by Patrick Henry