1-page Vocabulary Printables

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
(1775 Speech)
Patrick Henry
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Give students a vocabulary head start before reading.
1 page · 10 words · grading optional

How it works

Students preview 10 words from the reading, each in a sentence that supports understanding.

An optional post-reading quiz uses the same 10 words in excerpts from the text. Use it after reading, or skip it entirely.

Why it works

The pre-reading activity supports comprehension and primes students to notice the words in context. The optional post-reading quiz reinforces the same words while asking students to use them in ways that also exercise reading and analytical skills (as discussed at the bottom of this site's home page).

Highlighted words:
arduous, avert, extenuate, indulge, insidious, reconciliation, solace, subjugation, supplication, vigilant
Why these 10 words?
reconciliation
Central to the entire debate -- Henry argues that reconciliation with Britain is futile; appears 3 times (reconciliation x2, reconciled x1); highly reusable tier-2 word
insidious
Key to Henry's argument about British deception; memorable "insidious smile" passage; highly reusable tier-2 word
subjugation
Henry's central claim about British intent -- "implements of war and subjugation"; important tier-2 word
arduous
Characterizes the struggle for liberty; highly reusable tier-2 word; "great and arduous struggle"
supplication
Appears 3 times in various forms (supplication, supplicated, supplications); central to Henry's list of failed peaceful efforts; tier-2
indulge
Used twice ("indulge in the illusions of hope" and "indulge the fond hope"); the tier-2 sense -- give in to wishful thinking -- is more sophisticated than the familiar "indulge in sweets" meaning; central to Henry's argument about self-deception
solace
Genuinely tier-2, shows up regularly in literary and academic reading; Henry's usage -- "to solace themselves" meaning to comfort themselves with false hopes -- is instructive for the more sophisticated sense
extenuate
Essential for comprehension of the closing section's opening line; useful tier-2 word
vigilant
Memorable closing passage -- "the vigilant, the active, the brave"; very reusable tier-2 word
avert
Important moment in the argument where Henry concedes colonists tried everything to prevent conflict; very common and reusable tier-2 word
Close calls considered

formidable: useful tier-2, but moved to helper as part of the phrase "so formidable an adversary" to address two unknowns at once

tyrannical: important in context but most 9th graders will get there from "tyrant"

spurned: powerful usage but moved to helper as "spurned with contempt" since the phrase works as a unit

magnitude: solid tier-2 but less critical to the argument

entreaty: appears once, less common as tier-2

inestimable: important in context but less reusable

inviolate: important in context but quite rare

invincible: most students already know it

inevitable: key line but most 9th graders know this word

martial: students often know it from "martial arts"

remonstrated: moved to helper -- too archaic for a practice word but important in the remonstrated/supplicated/prostrated sequence

Resources
Other vocabulary resources for
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Aligned to CCSS ELA Language Standards
(context clues and determining word meaning).