Themes come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify key themes in Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention”, and support their choices with details from the text.
During this time, many considered talk of breaking with England to be unpatriotic. Many considered anyone unwilling to compromise to be a traitor. Patrick Henry addresses this by saying that while he appreciates that point of view, others see the same topic in a different light. For Henry, he sees the calls to maintain ties with the homeland to be unpatriotic, because he believes it comes down to whether or not the colonies will be free, or slaves to England.
Many colonists were, understandably, afraid of breaking with the strength of England, and having that strength turned on them. They were afraid of war, and of change. Henry addresses this fear by examining the claims that the colonies are too weak, and then discarding these claims. He says that there are three million people, armed with the holy cause of liberty, which makes them invincible. They also are currently armed, and the full force of the British army is not yet on their shores. In addition, they will find powerful allies. If they do not find the courage now, their indecision will lead them to be ruled by fear instead.
Henry lays out the methods that have already been tried by the colonists: they have argued, entreated, supplicated, petitioned, remonstrated, prostrated themselves before the throne, and implored. Each time, they have been slighted, insulted, and spurned by the king. Henry says that if the colonists mean to be free, they cannot abandon their struggle; they must fight. Fighting involves sacrifice, but it is for a greater cause. If they don’t fight, if they don’t sacrifice their lives and their peace, then they will be purchasing the chains of slavery.
Throughout the speech, Henry makes one thing perfectly clear: there is no more gray area, no more room for compromise with England. Instead, the people must “choose” freedom or slavery. By their inaction, they are “choosing” to be slaves: England will send their full army over to disarm the colonists, and freedom will slip away. Instead, by fighting and sacrificing their lives, they can “choose” freedom by giving up their fears of losing everything that is important to them, and, perhaps, gaining something even more important.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in “Speech in the Virginia Convention”. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Guide students to share their storyboard themes in small groups or as a class. Encourage them to explain their choices and support them with evidence from the text. This builds critical thinking and helps students see multiple perspectives on the speech’s themes.
Ask students how themes like courage or sacrifice appear in today’s world. Foster discussion about current events or personal experiences, making learning more relevant and inspiring deeper engagement.
Suggest that students use symbols, facial expressions, and setting details in their images to visually represent abstract themes. This helps all learners, especially visual thinkers, better grasp complex ideas.
Offer sentence frames like, “This theme is important because…” or “An example from the speech is…” to support students who need help expressing their ideas in writing.
Have students swap storyboards and give one positive comment plus one suggestion for deepening the theme analysis. Promote reflection and improvement in a supportive classroom environment.
The main themes in Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention include true patriotism, the necessity of courage, the importance of sacrifice, and the choice between freedom and slavery. Henry’s speech urges colonists to fight for liberty, even at great personal risk.
Students can identify themes by looking for recurring ideas and messages in the text, such as freedom vs. oppression or courage in the face of fear. Using a storyboard to illustrate and describe these themes can help deepen understanding.
Patrick Henry emphasizes courage and sacrifice to inspire colonists to overcome their fear of conflict with England. He argues that only by risking comfort and safety can they achieve true liberty and avoid becoming subjects under British rule.
The “freedom or slavery” theme highlights the urgent choice colonists face: to fight for independence or submit to British control. Henry frames the decision as a clear, moral imperative with no room for compromise.
A simple activity is to have students create a storyboard that illustrates key themes from the speech. They can draw or find images representing each theme and write short descriptions to explain their choices.