Question

Which sentence in this excerpt from Patrick Henry's famous "liberty or death" speech at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775 emphasizes the American colonists’ efforts to avoid war? Speech to the Second Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry (excerpt) Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

Answer 1

Answer: We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.

This sentence is the one that better demonstrates how the colonists have tried to avoid war. Patrick Henry argues that the colonists tried to approach the matter in other ways first. However, all of their efforts, petitions and requests had been ignored, and things had continued in the same way as before. Therefore, he believes that there is no hope of reconciliation left, and that they must fight in order to protect their liberty.

Answer 2

Answer:

"Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation."

Explanation:

Patrick Henry was an American attorney, also known by his important role in politics during his time. This excerpt belong to his most famous speech, "Give me liberty or give me death!", delivered in 1775, in the Second Virginia Convention. In the excerpt given as the correct answer, we can see the speaker literally enumerates all the other options (such as the supplications) and also how the colonists' had suffered (such as the additional violence and insult caused by their remonstrances) before going to war.