Documents which were vital to the American Revolution and the establishment of our country included The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Articles of Confederation, the Bill of Rights. There is another set of writings which should not be overlooked for their contribution. Thomas Paine was a philosopher and author, and the editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine in Philadelphia at that time of the American Revolution. Paine had written the infamous Common Sense in early 1776; it played a significant role in galvanizing the colonials against the British and King George III. But Paine was not done.
Paine was with the Continental army at the Thompson-Neely Farmstead in December 1776, as he was an aide to General Nathaniel Greene. Following the success of Common Sense, Paine wrote the The American Crisis No. 1 essay (one of 16 he would write over the next few years). Paine printed it on December 19, 1776, just 7 days after the troops arrived at the farm and just 6 days before the river crossing. Paine shared a copy with General Washington. So impressed was General Washington with the essay that he directed the field commanders to read it aloud to their troops at the Farmstead on December 24, 1776. What school child is not familiar with the opening sentence:
"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 his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."
Historians give the essay credit for lifting troop morale just in the nick of time as many soldiers were preparing to leave at month's end, as the winter weather was harsh, when food and warm clothing were sparse, when pay fell short of promise...and just two days preceding the Battle of Trenton, a battle which turned the tide. A copy of this inspiring essay follows.
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It Rallied the Troops
Some Trivia......
Did you know? Thomas Paine's pen name was `Common Sense'
Did you know? Thomas Paine first coined the phrase `United States of America'