Richmond

We witnessed a re-enactment of the second Virginia convention at Saint John's church in Richmond in March of 1775, where Patrick Henry proposed a resolution that would make provisions for an armed force to defend itself against an increasingly aggressive British army that had just instituted martial law in Boston following the Boston massacre and tea party. Henry convinced his reluctant fellow Virginians with his famous "give me liberty or give me death speech." The resolution narrowly passed by a margin of 5 votes out of 120 delegates, who include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other famous patriots. Just 3 weeks later shots were fired at Lexington and Concord and the Revolutionary War had begun! The boys saw how a representative government works and how eloquent arguments are made with regards to the use of force versus diplomacy... topics relevant in today's foreign policy debates. We are now on our way to Jefferson's home, Monticello.