This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

On this episode of News World, the lives of these men are essential to understand the American

form of government and our ideals of liberty.

The founding fathers all played key roles in securing American independence

from Great Britain and in the creation of the government of the United States of America.

And now the life of Thomas Payne.

As a young person, Patrick Henry accompanied his mother to sermons given by evangelical presbyterian Samuel Davies,

whose oratorical skills had a strong influence on him.

Remember, this was during the Great Awakening,

a period of enormous Protestant

revivalism, which had a deep impact, grew in part out of the work of the Wesley Brothers,

the founding of the Methodist Church, and the whole notion of individuals approaching God

outside of the established religions, whether Anglican or Catholic,

became enormously deep emotional power, both in Britain and in the United States.

And Patrick Henry was influenced by Samuel Davies, both in his religion, but also in rhetorical

skills, in the ability to weave words so that they had a magic effect. He was the second son of

John Henry, a Scottish-born planner, and Sarah Winston-Sign, a young widow from a prominent family.

He was born on May 29, 1736, in Hanover County, Virginia.

Back then, Hanover County was pretty close to the frontier.

We tend to forget, because we're used to a continent-wide America,

that in the early phases, the American colonies were really a thin layer along the coast.

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