Beaverdam in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Patrick Henry

The Voice of Virginia

— Road To Revolution —

Patrick Henry Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, July 5, 2025

1. Patrick Henry Marker

Inscription.

Patrick Henry. The Voice of Virginia. It is January 18, 1773. Peering out of the window in front of you, Patrick Henry sits at his desk and tends to correspondence, contradictions swirling in his mind. He is writing to Robert Pleasants, a Quaker and abolitionist, lamenting about the subject of slavery. He proclaims in his letter. "Would any one believe that I am Master of Slaves of my own purchase! I am drawn along by ye. general inconvenience of living without them, I will not, I cannot justify it." Outside, Dinah is in the work yard preparing food for dinner. Beck tends to the garden, and Isaac, James, Jenny, Pedro, and Will are laboring outside in the frigid January temperatures. All of these individuals are enslaved by Patrick Henry., Patrick Henry's hard work and legal talent has led to financial success in his law career. He and his family can afford to live comfortably in the manor house at Scotchtown, but all of their comfort is provided through the forced labor of the people he enslaves on the plantation., Patrick is known across the colonies as someone who challenges the tyranny of the British government, he is the champion of the colonists' rights. Yet do these rights that Patrick speaks about in the courtroom extend to all residents of Scotchtown? The enslaved individuals, and even his wife and daughters, are purposefully left out. As he outlines in his letter to Pleasants, Patrick is well aware of these contradictions. Why did Patrick fight for justice, property rights, and equality not for all, but for the few?, Would any one believe that I am Master of Slaves of my own purchase! I am drawn along by ye. general inconvenience of living without them, I will not, I cannot justify it. Patrick Henry (To Robert Pleasants, January 18, 1773), (caption) Louisa County 1768 Tithables list, names of enslaved. , In 1768, just a few years before moving to Scotchtown, Patrick Henry lived in Louisa County and was taxed on all of the enslaved individuals he owned: Ben, Pedro, Dick, Isaac, Ben, Dinah, Beck, Jenny, James, and Will (or Hill). Most, if not all of these people continued to be enslaved by Patrick at Scotchtown. Yet, it was while living at Scotchtown that Patrick proclaimed in his famous 1775 speech, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" Should Patrick be accountable for his own words and contradictory actions? Courtesy Library of Virginia

It is January 18, 1773. Peering out of the window in front of you, Patrick Henry sits at his desk and tends to correspondence, contradictions swirling in his mind. He is writing to Robert Pleasants, a Quaker and abolitionist, lamenting about the subject of slavery. He proclaims in his letter. "Would any one believe that I am Master of Slaves of my own purchase! I am drawn along by ye. general inconvenience of living without them, I will not, I cannot justify it." Outside, Dinah is in the work yard preparing food for dinner. Beck tends to the garden, and Isaac, James, Jenny, Pedro, and Will are laboring outside in the frigid January temperatures. All of these individuals are enslaved by Patrick Henry.

Patrick Henry's hard work and legal talent has led to financial success in his law career. He and his family can afford to live comfortably in the manor house at Scotchtown, but all of their comfort is provided through the forced labor of the people he enslaves on the plantation.

Patrick is known across the colonies as someone who challenges the tyranny of the British government—he is the champion of the colonists' rights.

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Yet do these rights that Patrick speaks about in the courtroom extend to all residents of Scotchtown? The enslaved individuals, and even his wife and daughters, are purposefully left out. As he outlines in his letter to Pleasants, Patrick is well aware of these contradictions. Why did Patrick fight for justice, property rights, and equality not for all, but for the few?

Would any one believe that I am Master of Slaves of my own purchase! I am drawn along by ye. general inconvenience of living without them, I will not, I cannot justify it. Patrick Henry (To Robert Pleasants, January 18, 1773)

(caption) Louisa County 1768 Tithables list, names of enslaved.
In 1768, just a few years before moving to Scotchtown, Patrick Henry lived in Louisa County and was taxed on all of the enslaved individuals he owned: Ben, Pedro, Dick, Isaac, Ben, Dinah, Beck, Jenny, James, and Will (or Hill). Most, if not all of these people continued to be enslaved by Patrick at Scotchtown. Yet, it was while living at Scotchtown that Patrick proclaimed in his famous 1775 speech, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" Should Patrick be accountable for his own words and contradictory actions? Courtesy Library of Virginia

Topics.

View from Patrick Henry Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, July 5, 2025

2. View from Patrick Henry Marker

Historic ca. 1719-25 Scotchtown (with 1740s-50s expansions) is beyond.

This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical date for this entry is January 18, 1773.

Location. 37° 50.665′ N, 77° 35.194′ W. Marker is in Beaverdam, Virginia, in Hanover County. It can be reached from Chiswell Lane 0.2 miles north of Scotchtown Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on the grounds of Preservation Virginia's Historic Scotchtown. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16120 Chiswell Lane, Beaverdam VA 23015, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Central Virginia,

and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the

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Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Scotchtown (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Scotchtown (approx. 1.4 miles away); Cedar Creek Quaker Meeting House (approx. 2.7 miles away); Fork Church (approx. 3.1 miles away); Church Quarter (approx. 3.3 miles away); Attack at Ox Ford (approx. 5 miles away); Turning Lee’s Flank (approx. 5 miles away); The Fight for North Anna / The North Anna Battlefield (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beaverdam.

Other markers no longer nearby. Scotchtown (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scotchtown (was approx. 1.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Marker replaces the linked marker.

Also see . . .
1. Road to Revolution Heritage Trail. (Submitted on August 13, 2025.)
2. Patrick Henry's Scotchtown. Preservation Virginia (Submitted on August 13, 2025.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 140 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.