"Patrick Henry Speech"

Question

by Patrick Henry

Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death, Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

"Shirley Chisolm Speech"
by Shirley Chisolm

Prejudice against blacks is becoming unacceptable although it will take years to eliminate it. But it is doomed because, slowly, white America is beginning to admit that it exists. Prejudice against women is still acceptable. There is very little understanding yet of the immorality involved in double pay scales and the classification of most of the better jobs as “for men only.”

Equal Rights for Women, Shirley Chisholm, May 21, 1969

Answer 1

The speeches by Patrick Henry and Shirley Chisholm, while separated by nearly two centuries and addressing different struggles, both capture the urgency of advocating for rights and the necessity of action in the face of oppression.

Patrick Henry’s speech, delivered in 1775, is a passionate call to arms against British tyranny. He emphasizes that all forms of peaceful dissent—argument, entreaty, petitioning—have been exhausted and that further attempts at reconciliation are futile. His repeated assertion that “we must fight” underscores the conviction that liberty cannot be achieved without struggle. Henry's rhetoric is powerful and evocative, appealing to emotions and the moral imperative to resist oppression.

On the other hand, Shirley Chisholm’s speech in 1969 addresses discrimination against women and the ongoing struggle for equality, particularly highlighting the intersectionality of race and gender. She points out that, while prejudice against blacks is increasingly recognized as unacceptable, sexism remains pervasive and is often overlooked. Chisholm’s focus on the moral implications of economic and employment inequality exposes the entrenched barriers women face in achieving true equality.

Both speeches advocate for rights and justice, demonstrating that while the contexts and specifics may differ, the themes of struggle, the quest for equality, and the necessity of taking a stand against injustice are timeless. Henry’s rallying cry for freedom resonates with Chisholm’s push for equality, revealing a shared human spirit that seeks to overcome oppression in all its forms.