Other then the obvious( washington,adams,franklin,jefferson) which Essay

Other then the obvious( washington,adams,franklin,jefferson) which american political or military leader do you think had the mo - Essay Example Through the legislation that he introduced and his impassioned rhetorical style, he helped encourage Americans to rise up against the British and take their destiny into their own hands. No one can doubt that he made a major difference in America's quest for independence. Henry was born and raised in Virginia and served in the Virginian legislature, alongside many famous men of the era (Beeman, 12). He was deeply interested in states' rights, and opposed the idea of being ruled by a distant king in a foreign land. The mood in the American colonies was changing during Henry's years of service and he captured that mood powerfully in his public speeches. He often came within a whisker of making statements that were treasonous to the British king. Nevertheless, he stood by his viewpoints. In one of his first acts after being elected in Virginia he introduced a response to the Stamp Act. His actions were widely seen as being one of the first and most radical steps against British rule in the colonies. It effectively said that Americans could not be taxed by London without representation in London. It was the speech he gave at this time which Thomas Jefferson once said surpassed anything else he had ever heard in his life (Jewett). During this time, and in the years following it and leading up to the Revolution, Henry's rhetoric was noted as inspiring many people.