 The first page of the original printing of the first volume | |
| Author | Thomas Paine |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
Publication date | 1776–1783 |
The American Crisis, or simply The Crisis,[1] is a pamphlet series by eighteenth-century Enlightenment philosopher and author Thomas Paine, originally published from 1776 to 1783 during the American Revolution.[2] Thirteen numbered pamphlets were published between 1776 and 1777, with three additional pamphlets released between 1777 and 1783.[3] The first of the pamphlets was published in The Pennsylvania Journal on December 19, 1776.[4] Paine signed the pamphlets with the pseudonym, "Common Sense".
The pamphlets were contemporaneous with early parts of the American Revolution, when colonists needed inspiring works. The American Crisis series was used to "recharge the revolutionary cause."[5] Paine, like many other politicians and scholars, knew that the colonists were not going to support the American Revolutionary War without proper reason to do so. Written in a language that the common person could understand, they represented Paine's liberal philosophy. Paine also used references to God, saying that a war against Great Britain would be a war with the support of God. Paine's writings bolstered the morale of the American colonists, appealed to the British people's consideration of the war, clarified the issues at stake in the war, and denounced the advocates of a negotiated peace. The first volume famously begins: "These are the times that try men's souls."
- ^ Davis, Kenneth C. (2003). Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-06-008381-6.
- ^ "The Crisis by Thomas Paine". www.ushistory.org. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ Foner, Phillip S, The Complete Writings of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2 (New York: Citadel Press, 1945) p. 48
- ^ "Thomas Paine publishes American Crisis – Dec 19, 1776 – Histort..com". History.com. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ Dennehy, Robert F.; Morgan, Sandra; Assenza, Pauline (2006). "Thomas Paine: Creating the New Story for a New Nation". Tamara Journal of Critical Organisation Inquiry. 5 (3 & 4). Warsaw: 183–192. ProQuest 204425669.