Virginia. Governor (1776-1779 : Henry)

Patrick Henry, a well known Virginia statesman, served as Governor of the the Commonwealth from 1776 to 1779.

From the guide to the A Guide to the Gov. Patrick Henry Land Grant to James Carson, 16 May 1786, (John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation)

Patrick Henry was born on 29 May 1736 in Studley, Hanover County, Virginia, the second son of John Henry and Sarah Winston Syme. Henry married twice; first to Sarah Shelton in 1754, and later to Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge in 1776. He was admitted to the bar on 15 April 1760 and was elected to his first public office as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses on 29 May 1765. As a member of this body, Henry fought against the Stamp Act and helped defend the rights of the colonies against British tyranny. He assisted in the establishment of committees of correspondence among the colonies and was a delegate to the first Continental Congress in 1774-1775. Henry was a staunch supporter for the independence of the colonies from Great Britain. Well-known for his extraordinary oratory abilities, Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech on 23 March 1775 helped galvanize Virginian's resolve for independence. In May 1776, he was elected to the Fifth Revolutionary Convention where he advocated a bill of rights and constitution for Virginia. The Convention named Henry the first governor of the newly independent commonwealth and he served the maximum three consecutive one-year terms until 1779. Following these terms as governor, Henry returned the legislature, but was again elected governor for two additional terms from 17 November 1784 to November 1786. Retiring from political office in 1791, Henry declined appointments to be a United States Senator in 1794, Secretary of State in 1795, Chief Justice, Minister of France & Spain, and a sixth term as Governor. Patrick Henry died on 6 June 1799 in Red Hill, Virginia.

From the guide to the Executive Papers of Governor Patrick Henry, 1776-1779, (The Library of Virginia)