Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Did Patrick Henry also say, "This is not a constitution that will safeguard our liberties?"

Though I cannot validate this quote, I can guarantee that Henry shared the sentiment. 


Patrick Henry, a revolutionary best-known for his "Give me liberty, or give me death" speech, delivered at the Virginia Convention in 1775, was vehemently opposed to a strong centralized government. In other words, he was an anti-Federalist. His speech in Richmond encouraged the formation of militias to protect Virginians from British aggression.


In 1787, the lawyer and politician was invited to participate in a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation, otherwise known as a Constitutional Convention.


Henry feared that the document would set up "the Founding Fathers" as masters of a new government -- a prospect that he strongly opposed. When the Constitution was ratified the following year, he remained a fierce critic.


In 1789, Congress sent a list of twelve amendments to the states to be ratified. These twelve amendments were the first draft of The Bill of Rights. Still a tough customer, Henry refused them, arguing that these amendments did not sufficiently safeguard our liberties. He called for a new convention -- a request that went unheeded. The state of Virginia approved the amendments without his support. Ten of the proposed amendments were ratified by all of the states and ended up in the Constitution as The Bill of Rights. 

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