The Second Virginia Convention met at St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, on March 20, 1775.[5] Delegates selected a presiding officer, and they elected delegates to the Continental Congress. At the convention, Patrick Henry—a delegate from 👉️Hanover County—👈️offered amendments to raise a militia independent of royal authority in terms that explicitly recognized that war with the British Empire was inevitable, sparking the opposition of convention moderates.[5] On March 23, Henry defended his amendments and purportedly concluded with the following statement: