Thomas Paine · Politics

The American Crisis: Words That Won a War

In the darkest winter of the Revolution, with Washington’s army melting away, Paine wrote thirteen wartime essays whose opening line - read aloud to freezing soldiers - helped turn defeat into victory.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that The American Crisis was written to sustain a faltering revolution. In your own words, why did Paine argue that hardship made the cause more worth fighting for, not less?

Leads to Thomas Jefferson.

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