0.Historical+Significance

**__Historical Significance__**

 **Leading up to the speech at St. John's Church on March 23, 1775**   The First Continental Congress met in the fall of 1774 in Philadelphia with 56 American delegates, who represented every colony, except Georgia. In September Congress decided to go against the repressive Acts of Parliament, and also promoted the formation of local militia units. With the threat of Lieutenant-Governor Dunmore and his Royal Marines, the second Virginia convention met on March 20, 1775 at Richmond in a small church called St. John's Church, choosing to go there instead of the capital, Williamsburg. Delegate Patrick Henry presented a resolution to raise a militia to the second convention on March 23rd. His opponents used caution until the president replied to congress' latest petition for reconciliation. -    ** Patrick Henry proposed resolution ** -   ** Second Virginia Convention met in Richmond in St. John Chu rch** Patrick Henry's final proposal was to organize a volunteered army in every Virginia county, to be ready at minutes notice. By the convention's custom it was mandatory that Henry addressed himself and spoke directly to their president at the time who was Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg. Patrick Henry delivered one of the most eloquent speeches the Virginia convention had ever heard and made the speech famous by his closing statement, "Give Me Liberty, or give me death!"

-   ** President of Second Virginia Convention, Peyton Randolph ** -   ** Famous Closing Statement, "Give Me Liberty, or give me death!" **