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Loading... The Mind of a Patriot: Patrick Henry and the World of Ideasby Kevin J. Hayes
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The Mind of a Patriot presents an intellectual life of a major figure who has traditionally been seen as an anti-intellectual "child of nature." This was the view of Patrick Henry that William Wirt presented in his Life of Henry, and it has pervaded every biography since. Hayes presents a very different view of Henry. Starting with neglected pieces of evidence-the inventory of Henry's library-Hayes's unique perspective allows him to position Henry's life within the intellectual currents of the day. After the opening chapter, which shows how Thomas Jefferson's opinions of Henry influenced Wirt's depiction of him, the author traces Henry's life through his relationship with the world of books. Individual chapters examine Henry's education; his legal career; his use of books to improve his speaking style; his relationship to the antislavery movement; his use of books as a legislator, a farmer, and a father; and, ultimately, the place of books in his life during his waning years. In a lengthy appendix, Hayes reconstructs Henry's library, presenting a detailed catalogue of its contents. No library descriptions found. |
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)973.3092History and Geography North America United States Revolution and confederation (1775-89) Personal narratives--American RevolutionLC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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Mr. Hayes makes no attempt to hide two major events in Henry's time to obscure concrete evidence of his bibliophilia. First, a fire destroyed his first library, and careless cataloging of Patrick Henry's estate is the second event which shrouds Henry's book collection in mystery. This book documents observations by those who knew Henry and his biographers, as well as his own references to popular law and classic literature in his speeches.
Patrick Henry allowed the personae of a "backwoods" bumpkin to veil his knowledge base; those who knew him assumed he became so successful by way of luck or pluck. It is clear he was more learned than he let on or others actually knew. (