The historical figure attributed with saying "Give me liberty or give me death!" is Patrick Henry. He delivered this famous line during a speech in 1775 at the Second Virginia Convention, urging his fellow colonists to take up arms against British rule. Henry's impassioned plea was aimed at motivating the American Revolution and gaining support for independence. This quote has since become a rallying cry for liberty and resistance against oppression, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and self-determination that defined the American spirit during its revolutionary period.