Or Give Me Death (20 page)

——Williamsburg—Three Hundred Years Freedom's Journey.
Williamsburg, Va.: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1999.

Holton, Woody.
Forced Founders, Indians, Debtors, Slaves, and The Making of the American Revolution in Virginia.
Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Va. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1999.

Kolchin, Peter.
American Slavery, 1619–1877.
New York: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1993.

Mayer, Henry.
A Son of Thunder. Patrick Henry and the American Republic.
New York: Franklin Watts, 1986.

Meade, Robert Douthat.
Patrick Henry, Patriot in the Making.
Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1957.

Osborne, J. A.
Williamsburg in Colonial Times.
Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press Publishers, 1935.

Williams, George F.
Patrick Henry and His World.
New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1969.

A
NN
R
INALDI
is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. Among her books for Harcourt are
A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials,
an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and
Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley,
also a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.

A self-made writer, Ms. Rinaldi never attended college but learned her craft through reading and writing. As a columnist for twenty-one years at
The Trentonian
in New Jersey, she learned the art of finding a good story, capturing it in words, and meeting a deadline.

Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast, where she cooked the food, made the clothing, and learned about the dances, songs, and lifestyles that prevailed in eighteenth-century America.

Ann Rinaldi has two grown children and lives with her husband in central New Jersey.

1. Should Pa have warned Patsy that he suspected her mother's depression? What reasons might justify his not doing so? Is Patsy selfish to worry for her own sanity? What other ways might the family deal with Mama's madness besides imprisoning her in their cellar?

2. Pegg and Patsy negotiate for authority over the children. What are the benefits of Patsy retaining control of the younger kids? Do you think she made the right decision? Why or why not?

3. When Pa postpones Patsy's marriage for a year, is he being hypocritical, or is he a caring father who has learned from his own mistakes? Isn't her role of managing the Henry household during her engagement the very kind of responsibility he fears will send her into depression?

4. Why is Patsy so bossy with Anne? What does MyJohn mean when he says that at Anne's age, hate comes easily? What are some ways that Patsy and Anne could resolve their differences?

5. Pegg says that if a person ends up doing something great, the greatness doesn't come from the moment. What does she mean? Do you agree with her?

6. Anne wonders how Pegg and the other slaves can stay the same in the face of their troubles when her mother, a privileged white owner, couldn't deal with her own troubles. How might you explain why Mama falls into depression while the Henry slaves do not?

7. Is there an answer to Anne's most nagging question: When do you keep a secret and when do you tell? Should Anne reveal the identity of the child who will inherit her mama's madness? Would telling the truth change anything?

8. Pa tells Anne that even though their family is broken, she must enjoy the pieces. He also advises her to look outside the family for her happiness. How can she do both?

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