Thomas Paine's "The Crisis"

Thomas Paine joined the Continental Army in 1776. With numerous defeats by the hands of the British, Thomas Paine saw a mass amount of his fellow countrymen killed. George Washington, who was the leader of the Continental Army as well as the first President of the United States, asked Thomas Paine to write words of inspiration. These words were read aloud to the troops on December 23, 1776 in hopes of motivating the men to continue fighting. They were read 3 days before the Battle of Trenton. These words were known as The American Crisis. They were a series sixteen pamphlets that were published starting in 1776. The first volume begins with the famous words "These are the times that try men's souls". They were often known as "The American Crisis" or "The Crisis".

"The Crisis" Photo from: http://www.thomaspainefriends.org/paine_am-crisis-1.jpg