Among America's amazing pantheon of founders, Patrick Henry stands out for his stirring speeches and fervent commitment to liberty, virtue, and small government. The Virginia planter, lawyer, and politician strongly denounced Great Britain's political and economic control of the American colonies and played a leading role in the movement for independence. More controversially, Henry's love of liberty, coupled with his support for limited government and states' rights, led him to oppose ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Henry's actions were inspired by both his devout Christian faith and the civic spirit of the ancient Romans and Greeks.
Although 10 previous biographies of Henry have been penned, Thomas S. Kidd's "Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots" offers a fresh and compelling portrait of one of our nation's more renowned but seemingly enigmatic founders. Dispelling many misconceptions, Kidd carefully analyzes the Virginian's core convictions and contradictions. Kidd also illuminates the key ideological struggles of the turbulent revolutionary era involving the battle for independence, the debate over religious disestablishment, the creation of the United States, and the practice of slavery.
