Which revolutionary leader is associated with the phrase "Give me liberty, or give me death"?

• A. George Washington
• B. Thomas Paine
• C. Patrick Henry
• D. Thomas Jefferson

Answer: (C)

That line comes from a moment when passionate calls for liberty and readiness to fight for it were shaping the push toward independence. Patrick Henry, a fiery Virginia orator, delivered it at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, urging colonists to take up arms rather than submit to tyranny. His dramatic plea embodies the spirit of turning from protest to action and the belief that liberty may require bold, immediate steps. By contrast, George Washington is best known as the military leader who would become the first U.S. president, Thomas Paine wrote the influential pamphlet Common Sense advocating independence, and Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence. The quote’s direct link to Henry’s passionate appeal is why this is the best attribution.