Patrick Henry: “Liberty or Empire?” Speech

Glossary

• checks... balances procedures and institutions within a government that prevent one party, group, or individual from gaining too much power
• contrivances creations, fabrications, inventions—all in a negative sense, meaning something very close to lies or untruths
• democracy government by popular vote
• execute the execrable put into action the horrible
• farthing a very small denomination of money in the British currency of that time, meant to represent an insignificant amount
• genius of idea behind
• magazines ammunition storage areas
• man of address someone of importance and influence
• militia a military force composed of citizen-soldiers, as opposed to a standing army
• republicanism a system of rule by elected leaders, as opposed to monarchs or dictators
• requisitions demands for soldiers and military supplies
• scourge whip; more generally, curse
• standing army a full-time military force, as opposed to a citizen militia
• terrible powerful