This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading.
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands for it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” — The American Crisis December 23, 1776
The pen of Thomas Paine was one of the most powerful weapons Americans possessed in their struggle for independence. The American Crisis played a key role in persuading ordinary people to embrace the American Revolution and to remain true to that cause. The pamphlets comprising this volume bluntly denounced Great Britain’s constitution, its monarchy, and its empire and reminded citizens why they were undertaking such an arduous struggle. Our political rhetoric and indeed our political culture still show the imprint of Paine’s galvanizing words.
About the author
Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England, in 1737, and immigrated to Philadelphia in November 1774. He is the author of Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776–1783). Largely due to his writings, Paine was appointed as secretary of the Congressional Committee of Foreign Affairs in 1777.
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