In today’s edition of American Nomad, we’re journeying back 250 years to a pivotal moment in American history. It was within the humble walls of Richmond’s St. John’s Parish Church that the fires of liberty were ignited, as the silver-tongued orator Patrick Henry delivered his electrifying ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!’ speech, setting ablaze a nation’s desire for freedom.
My mom and I were blessed to take a tour of St. John’s this past May, and I can tell you firsthand, it’s an incredibly powerful experience. St. John’s is still an active Episcopal Parish, nestled in Richmond’s historic Church Hill neighborhood. This historic neighborhood is actually one of the oldest in Richmond and takes its very name from St. John’s Church itself!
As you approach the church, you’ll immediately notice its commanding position on one of the highest bluffs in Richmond, perched high above the James River. Being in an urban neighborhood, you’ll want to plan your visit carefully for parking – look for available off-street spots before taking the picturesque steps up the hill to the church, right through its historic graveyard. This entire journey, from the moment you begin your ascent through the hallowed grounds, truly transports you, bridging its early parish founding in 1741 to the present day.
While the active parish itself maintains a busy schedule of church activities, from services to youth groups, it’s the dedicated St. John’s Church Foundation that tirelessly works to preserve this sacred building and manage its vital historical tours, educating the public about the crucial history that unfolded here. The Foundation provides daily guided tours, but if you’re lucky enough to visit during the right season, you can experience their incredible reenactments. These performances truly bring to life the events of March 23rd, 1775, with talented re-enactors portraying Patrick Henry and other notable attendees of that momentous House of Burgesses meeting like George Washington, Peyton Randolph, and Thomas Jefferson. It’s a vivid spectacle that truly brings history to life and is especially a fantastic way to get kids excited about American history.
My mom and I signed up for the foundation’s excellent St. John’s Church guided tour. Our particular tour was led by a retired social studies professor with a passion for Richmond’s dynamic history, which brought the story of St. John’s and Patrick Henry’s speech to life. The tour itself lasts about an hour and provides a superb overview of the church’s history, relevant Richmond history, and most importantly, what precisely led to the monumental push for Independence. It powerfully explains why Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech remains one of the most important in American history. It’s an immersive way to connect with the very place where the seeds of American freedom were sown.
Purchase Tickets and Plan Your Visit Here
The tour also digs into the history of the church’s historic graveyard. On the tour I learned the difference between a graveyard and cemetery. St. John’s is technically both. By definition a graveyard is reserved for Christian burials and usually tied to a parish church, while a cemetery is open to all faiths. St. John’s gave permission to the city of Richmond to allow parishioner burials as well. The graveyard has over 1400 graves (most unmarked) including many prominent Virginians and patriots tied to the Revolutionary War like Signer of The Declaration of Independence and Father of Jurisprudence George Wythe. I learned from our tour guide that Wythe was sadly murdered in what was the trial of the century in 1807 Richmond. I purchased the book ‘I am Murdered’ about the Wythe trial in the church giftshop. It was a tragic and gripping story that I highly recommend. Another notable gravestone is that of Eliza Poe, Edgar Allan Poe’s mother.
Eliza Poe was a famous actress who was performing in Richmond when she passed away from tuberculosis. A local family, the Allans, adopted young Edgar and raised him in Richmond. Edgar added ‘Allan’ to his name to honor the Allans who adopted him. While Edgar later moved to other places like Philadelphia, West Point, and Baltimore, he considered Richmond his true hometown. You can learn more about Edgar Allan Poe and his family at The Poe Museum in Richmond, a place I hope to visit next time I’m in the city.
Church History:
As we stepped into the historic church into the nave, our guide clued us into the history of St. John’s as a parish church. The current church building is a story of evolution through time as it was built, added on to and remodeled through the 284 year history.
The original core of St. John’s, forming the very heart of the nave, was constructed in 1741 and expanded over the years. This served as the parish church for Henrico Parish, an entity with roots stretching back to 1611. The parish’s initial location was at Sir Thomas Dale’s progressive Cittie of Henricus, a site now preserved as a state historic park in Virginia, just outside modern Richmond. (Hoping to visit Henricus soon – stay posted for the adventure)
It was at Henricus that the first “college” in colonial Virginia was established, remarkably intended to educate both Native Americans and settlers. Here’s an interesting tidbit: colonists also held Pocahontas captive at Henricus. During this time, the first rector of the church, Reverend Alexander Whitaker, taught her about Christianity and helped her improve her English. She eventually fell in love with John Rolfe, who established Varina Farms across the James River.
In the 1730s, the Henrico Parish vestry accepted land from William Byrd II, founder of Richmond, and in 1741, this became the first church built in Richmond. The church’s construction was overseen by Colonel Richard Randolph, who was none other than Thomas Jefferson’s great-uncle. In 1772, the parish expanded the sanctuary to allow for more seating in a response to the growing congregation.
In 1775, Richmond was a mere shadow compared to the bustling capital city of Williamsburg. Richmond’s future growth, however, lay in its unique position on the James River’s fall line – a rocky stretch that forced traders from both east and west to disembark and portage their goods, making it a natural hub. But in 1775, it remained mostly a sleepy town surrounded by farming communities.
Yet, on March 23rd, 1775, Richmond would play host to one of the most pivotal moments on the road to Revolution. The parish church, St. John’s, hosted the Second Virginia Convention. This was no ordinary meeting; with roots tracing back to 1619, Virginia’s General Assembly (which included the House of Burgesses) was America’s very first established legislature. Rising tensions, fueled by the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and the subsequent punitive Intolerable Acts, led Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, to dissolve the House of Burgesses in 1774, hoping to re-exert royal control. This act only infuriated Virginians, even those previously loyal to the crown. Having maintained a legislature for over 150 years, they utterly refused to stop meeting.
The decision to hold this crucial Convention in Richmond was strategic: its distance from Williamsburg offered the Burgesses a vital buffer, providing enough time to escape to safety should Lord Dunmore attempt to break up the gathering. Unfazed, the House members were determined to meet about critical issues, including the rising tensions in Boston due to the Intolerable Acts. Richmond, located fifty miles from Williamsburg, provided sufficient distance and time for the legislators to flee if Lord Dunmore caught wind of their “traitorous meeting.”
The location of St. John’s was chosen because it was the only site in Richmond large enough to the around 120 delegates present for the Second Convention.
It was during this meeting, presided by President Peyton Randolph, that a fiery lawyer from nearby Hanover County raised his voice. Henry had long been vocal about threats of British incursions, speaking up about The Stamp Act in Williamsburg in 1765 in front of the House of Burgesses, yet this speech was so earth shaking it took the room by surprise.
Henry was putting forth a proposal that Virginia start a militia to protect itself from potential British threats. Patrick Henry, passionately argued for Virginia to raise a militia to protect the colony against potential British force. While the colonies were not yet at war and raising a militia might seem treasonous, Henry correctly anticipated that the threat from British abuses would only intensify and that Independence was a path they needed to fight for. His speech was so powerful that it resonated beyond the church chambers and became a rallying cry for liberty across the colonies.
Here is an excerpt of his speech:
“ They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” – Click to listen to the speech here. Click to read the text here.
Our tour guide vividly explained that as Henry finished his impassioned speech, a profound silence initially gripped the room, before erupting into fervent debate. From our modern vantage point, it’s difficult to grasp opposition to ‘liberty’ and independence, but in 1775, this was a truly radical proposition. As we’ve explored in other ‘American Nomad’ stops, like our visit to Philadelphia, many colonists in 1775 still genuinely hoped for reconciliation with England. They sought fair taxation coupled with proper representation, and the safeguarding of their established rights, including their cherished colonial legislatures.
For many, to even suggest raising a militia was an act of war, even treason. Yet, Henry recognized that the path to reconciliation was closed; independence was now the necessary course. Perhaps the most critical aspect of his address, beyond its fiery rhetoric, was Henry’s profound recognition of the colonies as a unified entity. Despite diverse backgrounds and regional cultures, he saw them as ‘Americans’ bound together in a shared fight for liberty. When some representatives questioned what Boston’s plight had to do with Virginia, Henry powerfully reminded them: if the British could close Boston’s port and deploy troops there, Virginia faced the very same threat. Reportedly, Henry’s speech also energized Bostonians, assuring them they had crucial allies in Virginia.
The resolution narrowly passed after fiery debate. Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson among others were appointed to a committee for the defense of the colony. Read more here.
As for those who claimed he was ‘fear mongering,’ Henry’s intuition was chillingly accurate. The need to prepare their militia was immediate. Less than a month later, on April 19th, 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord.
Want to truly experience the drama of that pivotal Second Virginia Convention? I highly recommend seeking out the 250th anniversary reenactment from March 23rd, 2025. You can often find recordings of this online, and the official St. John’s Church Foundation website also allows you to purchase tickets for one of their upcoming live reenactments. Here is the link (also embedded above).
Witnessing actors replay the intense drama of that day, and learning about the profound importance of this event, absolutely fired up my interest in revisiting even more key ‘America 250’ sites. Want to learn more about America 250 events near you – check out the official America 250 website. You can also check out local state America 250 partner sites including VA250, which provides daily America 250 events and history via social media.
Who was Patrick Henry: Born in 1736 at Studley Plantation in Hanover County, Virginia, Patrick Henry initially struggled with various occupations, including storekeeping, farming, and running his father-in-law’s tavern (a site where you can still dine today in Hanover Courthouse). He found his true calling in law, participating in landmark cases such as ‘the Parson’s Cause’ in 1763. This case, involving Reverend James Maury’s suit for back pay, saw a novice attorney Henry passionately argue the vestry’s side. In a fervent oration that criticized the established clergy and challenged British authority, Henry persuaded the Hanover County jurors to grant only a token one penny in damages, a victory that significantly enhanced his legal practice and launched his political career.
He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1765, where his fiery speech against the Stamp Act famously inspired Thomas Jefferson, then a student at William and Mary. Henry served two terms as Governor of Virginia, first from 1776 to 1779 (before Thomas Jefferson took office) and again from 1784 to 1786. Surprisingly, Henry opposed the Constitution due to its lack of a Bill of Rights and campaigned against its ratification; the Bill of Rights was subsequently added in 1791. Henry was married twice, and several of his homesites throughout Virginia are open for visitors to explore.
Richmond’s Revolutionary War:
With the shots fired at Lexington and Concord on April 19th 1775, just one month after Henry’s fiery speech at St. John’s, Virginia was quickly thrust into the war. Henry played a role in protesting Lord Dunmore’s handling of the Gunpowder Plot in Williamsburg and served as Virginia’s first governor as an independent state after Lord Dunmore was forced to flee after the Burning of Norfolk on January 1st 1776.
As the war dragged on, it was decided to move the capital from the more vulnerable position in Williamsburg to Richmond. The capital of Virginia remains in Richmond today. You can tour the 1788 capital building that was designed by Thomas Jefferson, only a few blocks from St. John’s Church.
Richmond faced its own brutal test in the Revolution when, from January 4th to 7th, 1781, it was set ablaze by the infamous traitorous turncoat Benedict Arnold. Leading a British raiding force, Arnold and his new fleet spent three consecutive days laying waste to colonial plantations and settlements along the James River.
On January 4th, Arnold’s forces, composed mostly of Loyalists, arrived at Richmond. The city was defended by a mere 200 militiamen. Arnold dispatched a small detachment, and upon confronting the militia, they fired an abysmal musket volley before fleeing into the woods. Governor Thomas Jefferson, witnessing this collapse, swiftly called for a mass evacuation of military supplies and government officials from the city.
When Arnold marched into Richmond on January 5th, he met no resistance. He established his headquarters and audaciously wrote to Jefferson, demanding the city’s entire supply of tobacco and military stores. Jefferson was furious. He absolutely refused to let the man who had betrayed the Revolution plunder Richmond’s resources. In response to Jefferson’s defiance, Arnold issued a chilling order: burn the city. His men systematically set fire to homes, businesses, and government buildings, robbing Richmond of what little it possessed.
Arnold stormed St. John’s but by the grace of God did not burn the church.
Outraged by the destruction, Jefferson urgently called upon Continental and militia commanders to deal with Arnold. Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the Southern Department, quickly dispatched Baron von Steuben to Virginia to organize the militia and harass Arnold. Later, the Marquis de Lafayette would arrive with Continental troops, tasked specifically with trapping Arnold’s forces. These American forces pursued Arnold and his men, fighting them in the irregular style of warfare characteristic of the Southern Campaign. Arnold’s forces began to withdraw towards Portsmouth, taking continuous losses from the relentless American harassment.
As Arnold’s men retreated down the Virginia peninsula, they continued to burn plantations and towns, leaving a destructive trail that paradoxically served as a guide for their pursuers. This relentless pressure forced Arnold back to Portsmouth, effectively ending his Richmond campaign by January 19th, 1781. Learn more about this treacherous history here.
While at St. John’s I highly recommend you stop by their gift shop. They have an amazing collection of books, games, ‘liberty shirts’ and more. The best part is the staff’s knowledge about the history of St. John’s Church and friendliness to provide information about other history sites in Richmond.
In speaking with a staff member I learned about other important Patrick Henry sites in the greater Richmond area we could visit during our ‘Liberty Trails’ tour, including:
Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown:
Managed my Preservation Virginia, Scotchtown is the only original standing home of the Patriot and Orator of the American Revolution; Patrick Henry lived here from 1771-1778. It was at Scotchtown that he formulated the ideas of his famous “Liberty or Death” speech and it was from the house that he rode to St. John’s Church in Richmond on March 23, 1775 to deliver it.
Experience our dialogue based tour exploring Henry’s ideals of “Liberty, Human Rights and Revolution.” Also, explore the grounds, listen to a cell phone tour, enjoy a birding trail, shop in the museum store, participate in one of the site’s many hands-on classes and special events. Plan your visit here
Studley: The Birthplace of Patrick Henry in Hanover County. The homestead burned down, but you can visit the site and see a highway marker noting his birthplace. Learn more here
Hanover Tavern:
Dating to 1799, The Hanover Tavern in the community of Hanover Courthouse is a must-stop while in the greater Richmond area, built on the site of the original tavern once owned by Patrick Henry’s father-in-law. Visitors can still dine and toast to the past while enjoying a delicious meal. The Hanover Tavern is also famously home to the Barksdale Theatre, the oldest dinner theatre in the United States. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for our upcoming visit to Hanover Tavern! Website
Forks Church: A historic Episcopal Church not far from Scotchtown. Patrick and his first wife Sarah were married here.
Further afield:
Patrick Henry’s final home at Red Hill is located in Brookneal VA about two hours west of Richmond (Hoping to visit in the coming months to continue the Patrick Henry Liberty Trail). You can plan your Red Hill visit here.
We’ll be touring other Patrick Henry sites in upcoming posts as part of our America 250: Liberty Trails series.
Love the American Revolution? Then be sure to follow American Nomad on our blog and podcast! We feature historic sites, events, and help you discover the rich history of the American Revolution.
Next up: More Patrick Henry Adventures, along with Must-See Richmond Historic Sites…
Trip Planning REsources
You can purchase tour tickets on The St. John’s Foundation website. Make sure to check out their calendar for upcoming events like lectures and reenactments as well.
Where to Stay: Richmond offers travelers a wide-range of hotels from chains to locally owned bed and breakfasts. A few local inns and hotels I recommend in the area include the charming Linden Row Inn, Museum District Bed and Breakfast (near VMFA and History Museum), The opulent and elegant Jefferson Hotel.
Visit Richmond Official Website
More blog posts on Richmond sites coming soon!
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Hi, I’m Adele Lassiter, the travel enthusiast behind American Nomad Traveler. This is where I share my love for history, cool museums, art, and travel tips. When I’m not writing, I’m a singer-songwriter with a passion for Americana music. You can find my new album here: adelelassiter.bandcamp.com
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