Patrick Henry

"I am but one voice crying in the wilderness, but I will not be silenced."

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive."

"The Constitution was not made to satisfy the whole South, nor the whole North, but a portion of them."

"Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Will it strengthen us to lie supinely on our backs?"

"Gentlemen may cry Peace, Peace—but there is no peace."

"It is the nature and the privilege, I might almost say, of a free people, so to frame their government."

"The mighty God is on our side. It is vain for us to kick against his pricks."

"The government should protect the citizen, not prey upon him."

"There is a principle about the tree of liberty: it must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots."

"I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would point out the defects of my conduct."

"Mysteries of nature reveal to us the wisdom of the Creator."

"The eyes of America are now upon us."

"No nation can long survive the betrayal of its own people."

"When a man prefers the comforts of life to its principles, he is no longer fit to be called a man."

"I believe that faith in divine providence is the foundation of human liberty."

"The freedom which we prize is not mere freedom from constraint, but freedom to become our best selves."

"Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer."

"The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when the public is properly informed."

"Lay hold on this truth: that every man is the builder of a temple called his body."

"If we wish to be free, we must fight to remain so."

"The American spirit refuses to be broken by those who would enslave it."

"Prudence is a virtue which combines the wisdom of ages with the courage of today."

"In our country, the people are sovereign, and we must respect that sacred trust."

"The pursuit of happiness is the natural right of every human being."

"There exists a law of nature, and we violate it at our peril."

"Silence is sometimes an art, but it should never be the art of the free."

"The minds of the citizens of Virginia are prepared for resistance."

"We cannot hope to succeed unless we are willing to sacrifice."

"A nation that forgets its heroes is lost."

"The blessing of God upon our cause should humble us and strengthen our resolve."