Patrick Henry was a lawyer from Virginia. When speaking at the House of Burgesses in 1775, he is quoted to having said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" This and other speeches helped unite colonial leaders in the movement for independence. He also owned a plantation and 78 slaves.

The 13 Colonies were territory owned by England. England was governed by a king and Parliament. Over time, however, the ideas developed in Europe and carried over to the colonies helped spark the idea of individual liberty. Events in the colonies also proved important in developing the idea of self-government.

Self-Government:
- What opportunities did the colonies have to govern themselves?
- How/why did these opportunities come about?

Colonial Government:
- Royal and proprietary colonies
- Royal: by charter, king is in charger
- Proprietary: by purchase, owner is in charge
- King/owner choose the governor
- governor choose members of upper house
- lower house is elected

Great Awakening:
- Return to strict religious beliefs
- New organized churches began
- Increase of religious tolerance
- If we can choose how we worship, can't we choose how to govern ourselves?

Freedom of the Press:
- JPZ wrote negative comments about the governor of NY.
- Charged with libel - damaging someone's reputation
- Innocent because the statements were true
- Freedom of the press - ability to publish information (facts) without fear of being arrested