Liberty and freedom are universal values in presentday United States.
But the definition and reality of these simple terms was something that earlier Americans could not take for granted. Patrick Henry and Sojourner Truth were two political actors who sought to give concrete meaning to those words. And, in so doing, they stirred their fellow Americans to take firm action in the public sphere.
Patrick Henry…
was the child of a Scottish immigrant who made Virginia his home by becoming a prosperous planter. His son Patrick made a name for himself across Virginia as a lawyer. In 1765, Patrick was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he spoke out forcefully against Great Britain’s taxation of American colonists. By the time the American Revolution began 10 years later, his reputation as a powerful speaker had been established. Thomas Jefferson, one of America’s Founding Fathers, disliked Henry, but testified that he was “the greatest orator that ever lived.” A recent biographer described Henry as “legendary as the ‘son of thunder’ because of the extraordinary power of his oratory.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Worshiping Heaven
For almost 500 years, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices and prayers at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
Peace Reigns
The news spread throughout Egypt—a new pharaoh, Ramses III, now sat on the throne.
Problems To The East
Ramses III, the second king of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty, is viewed as Egypt’s last truly great pharaoh.
The Successors
Following the death of Ramses III, eight pharaohs, all named Ramses, ruled Egypt.
Stone Code
Hundreds of ships, led by the French general Napoleon Bonaparte, sailed from France in May 1798 on a secret mission.
Up & Away!
Eclipse observers often face unexpected difficulties, sometimes on their way to their chosen sites and sometimes at a site itself.
Edison's Eclipse Adventure
Thomas Edison (1847–1931) is the best-known inventor in American history.
Digging Up Copernicus
The scientist “who made the Earth a planet” is how the Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Owen Gingerich refers to Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543). Copernicus’ path breaking book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres,challenged the centuries-old belief that the Earth stood stationary at the center of the cosmos.
Demosthenes & Cicero
Even today, more than 2,000 years after they lived, Demosthenes and Cicero are still considered two of history’s most outstanding orators.
Confucius & Socrates
Some teachers are so inspirational that their influence lives on long after they die.
