Question

Review the excerpt from Patrick Henry’s "St. John’s Church" speech:

Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.
What is Henry claiming in the excerpt?
A. God made the colonists immortal.
B. Fighting for freedom is a holy cause.
C. Others will fight with the colonists.
D. Strength of the heart wins the war.

Answer 1

Patrick Henry claims that fighting for freedom is a holy cause, suggesting that with divine support and the moral strength of their cause, the colonists are invincible.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the excerpt from Patrick Henry's "St. John's Church" speech, Henry is claiming that fighting for freedom is a holy cause (B). He highlights the invincibility of the three million people who are armed in the cause of liberty, suggesting that with their country and their God on their side, they cannot be defeated by the enemy.

Henry does not suggest that colonists are immortal (A), but he speaks to the moral and spiritual strength provided by their cause and divine support.

While he suggests that they will have friends to help fight their battles (C) and hints to the power of being vigilant, active, and brave (D), the core claim is that their fight for freedom is righteous and blessed by God.