The American Crisis

The American Crisis is a collection of articles by Thomas Paine, originally published from 1776 to 1783, that focus on rallying Americans during the worst years of the Revolutionary War. 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." Written in a language that the common person could understand, they represented Paine's liberal philosophy. Paine's writings bolstered the morale of the American colonists, appealed to the British people's consideration of the war, and clarified the issues at stake in the war. These articles were so influential that others began to adopt some of their more stirring phrases, catapulting them into the cultural consciousness; for example, the opening line of the first Crisis, which reads "These are the times that try men's souls."