I received my monthly “Speaker” magazine today. I am a professional speaker and have been a member of this fine Association for many years. Of course, my interest has been speaking about the Founding Fathers and the way they taught character and leadership.

But today as I looked at my new magazine, I couldn’t help but think that there was no National Speakers Association in the 1700’s. And indeed, there were no professional speakers in that day either. There were, however some very great speakers. John Adams, with his persuasive ability comes to mind.

Perhaps the greatest and most influential speaker of the time was Patrick Henry. His most famous speech was the “Give Me Liberty” speech. Most Americans have heard of or read about that speech, perhaps even read the written report of the speech itself. But few know the background of that speech.

Patrick Henry was a lawyer in Virginia. He was very successful at law, and a lot of that was due to his uncanny speaking ability, and skill in convincing a jury. But did you know Henry had been married to his first wife, Sarah Skelton, who he nicknamed “Sallie” since he was about 18. Sallie was even younger when they married. She was perhaps 17. She bore him his first 6 children.

After the birth of the sixth child, Sallie became ill. She was subject to “fits of lunacy” as it was described. She died of this illness in February, 1775. At that time the Henry’s had a home at Scotchtown, Virginia. Scotchtown was about 30 miles from Richmond, which meant a day’s ride on horseback.

Patrick Henry rode his horse from Scotchtown to Richmond to be at a Virginia Committee of Safety meeting which was to be held at the Richmond St. John’s Church on March 23, 1775. Patrick Henry was to be a delegate and a main speaker at the meeting. Now this was only about 6 weeks from the date of death of his dear wife Sallie.

Henry was diligent and respected leader of this committee. It was imperative that he be at this meeting, and that he speak. He was there. He gave his immortal speech. He ended it with the words you know: “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” He was intimately acquainted with both liberty and with death, having just lost the wife of his youth.