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An Autobiography of Patrick Henry I, Patrick Henry sit here to write the tale of my life up until this time of April 16th, of 1760. As of now I am 24 years of age and I feel now is a fine time to document my early life before I start a new chapter of my life. That chapter is entitled, The legal profession. In the ensuing pages I will describe my childhood, my teenage years and my adulthood up until the present period of time. I was born on May 29th 1736, to my father and mother, John and Sarah Henry. I was the second son, and one of an eventual 9 children that my mother would have.

My mother gave birth to me on my father's plantation called Studley in the scarcely settled county of Hanover on the eastern end of Piedmont in the state of Virginia. Soon after my birth, my parents decided to move to Mount Brilliant, this is where I spent most of my childhood. My parents, although not rich were not to far off from that status. Neither of my parents originated from poor families by any means. My Father was born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland and was a member of at least the upper-middle class.

He was a scholar by many means although he never finished his degree at Aberdeen College. It was rare for a Scottish boy to receive any proper schooling, so by that means my father had great personal wealth, at least of knowledge. My mother, Sarah Winston Henry was "Considered by her contemporaries to be both attractive and of pleasant disposition, was herself a daughter of the Virginia provincial aristocracy. Her father, Isaac Winston, was a prominent merchant and land speculator; her mother Mary Dabney, was a member of one of the most prominent families in the old Dominion" ( 2-pg 3) I lived the life of a wealthy plantation owner's son.

You see; my father had gained thousands of acres of land plots when he married my mother, Sarah. He never would tell me then but now I know he acquired somewhere in the region of 6000 acres of uninterrupted land. He also had several other landholdings in various other districts of the colonies. So at this time my duties included some minor plantation work and when I turned ten years of age I started to attend a common English school to learn the basics of reading and writing. "When Colonel Henry (my father) thought his son (I) had properly advanced, he took him (me) under his own supervision for more serious study. Colonel Henry (My father) was well qualified as a teacher, having attended King's College in Aberdeen, Scotland, 1720-1724".

( 1-pg 4) After that time I never attended another school, private or public, I continued to learn by my father and he became my one and only tutor. My father skilled me in several areas of study- mathematics, the Latin language and both modern and ancient history, but this soon halted as my father became preoccupied with the development of his land estates. In his eyes, the education I received from him was more than sufficient for preparing me to manage and operate a plantation in the colonies. I didn't mind all that much for I had an unappeasable thirst for nature and the outdoors. So while my father was taking care of his duties, I took on the duties of an average upper class youth. "He (I) indulged in the kinds of activities that occupied most sons of prosperous plantation owners" ( 2) As a young teen I had a passion for hunting that I still possess today.

I would go for weeks on hunting trips all over the colonies. At the age of thirteen I shot and killed my first deer in the northern woods of New York. If someone was looking for me, it was known that they would find me in the woods with my rifle, or over the creek with my fishing rod. I frequented a tree whose roots lay by the river. It provided great shade and was a fine place for me to rest while watching my cork float in the creek, waiting for it to get pulled under by an unsuspecting trout.

I would do this for hours on end; during these years I gained a love for solitude. Even when hunting with a party, my choice was not to join the assemblage that scared the deer, but to be alone on my own stand. I enjoyed this solitude for it gave me a chance to imagine and indulge in the process of thought, probably of which is my greatest pastime. I miss those days of my childhood, for they brought a great sense of adventure and excitement into my life. I learned more in the wilderness than shall be acquired in any classroom. As my teen years passed my father decided to send me out to the world of business instead of sending me away to a college.

I couldn't agree more. "Both during the years of his (my) formal schooling and during the subsequent five years of informal tutoring, seemed to show neither enough aptitude for nor interest in his studies to warrant a further investment in a college education". ( 2 pg. 5) At the age of fifteen I was given the position of a store clerk. Don't obtain the erroneous thought, my father, by all means could have easily sent me to college. He believed it was in my best interest get involved in a business, and acquire the necessary skills on how to run one. I attained a liking for business and eagerly worked as many hours possible.

My father seemed to acknowledge my success and after a year he "Purchased the goods necessary to set his older brother and him up in business for themselves". ( 2 pg 8) Unfortunately my success as a merchant would end here. Our business venture was a failure and within a year I was forced to close the shop down. I'm sorry to say that my kindness was the root of my failure. I was quick to give credit to those without money and I was easily contented with apologies for non-payment of these credits I had given. "By the end of the year, they (we) were without profits with which to buy more goods and had to close their (our) business" ( 3 pg 19) A hidden desire for nature and the thrill of the hunt drove me away from my stand.

One thing I did gain from my job as a business owner was the tendency to scrutinize human character. I would examine each and every one of my customers and observe their tendencies and habits. I often would spark up worthless conversation in order gain reaction and learn opinions on different matters of the time. In this way I could ascertain how certain people would act in a different situations.

When the company failed I was eighteen years of age. I decided it was time for me to settle down and get married. I decided to marry a young women by the name of Sarah Shelton. She was the daughter of a local farmer and a land speculator. As a wedding gift Mr. Shelton presented us with a 300-acre lot of land and furnished it with 6 slaves to work it.

The crop of Virginia was tobacco and this what I struggled to produce. After trials and tribulations with the terrain the land proved worthless, as it seemed impossible for anything productive to grow from it. All of my efforts proved insignificant. After a little over a year of living at the un fertile estate a blazing fire ripped through my home and destroyed everything I had owned.

I was forced to move in with Sarah's family. "Henry (I) soon after sold most of his slaves and, obviously disgusted with the life of a farmer, used the money from the sale of the slaves to buy another stock of goods and start a second country store". ( 2 pg 14) I believed that after my first experience in this field I would be able to learn from my past mishaps and conduct a more successful business. It seemed through the years the curse of my friendliness came back to haunt me once again.

I began crediting local farmers and friends with supplies. With June came a drought that would destroy all the tobacco in the local towns. With the farmers cash crop destroyed they seemingly has no means of paying their debt to me, this began the fall of second country store. "With his capital gone, he was obliged, for the second time, to close his business, though he was not insolvent" ( 1 pg 21) Although I was in precarious economic position, I refused to let it be shown, my character wouldn't allow for it.

Directly after my business failed I began to work at my father-in-law's tavern in Hanover County. I decided while in this period of transition this would do me well to help support my young family. The tavern suited me well for I had a taste for music and dancing. Many times I would fiddle and dance upon request from any guest. This, like most of my life endeavors didn't last for too long, as it was inadequate for supplying the needs of my young children and wife.

"In the spring of 1760 Patrick (I) left the tavern to begin a entirely new career in law" ( 2 pg 9) I made this decision based on my past failures as a businessman and a farmer. The study and practice of law was one of the few doors open for me to walk through. It was a respectable and in most cases well paid profession, which I was and still am prepared to venture in to. This has been the story of my life up until this new period of my life.

I am now undertaking a new practice of law in which I hope to be successful in and hopefully to make a difference in these colonies.