The Crisis By Thomas Paine Summary

The American Revolution was not only one of the most significant events in American history, but also ignited the minds of many journalists and writers, such as Thomas Paine. Paine began his career as a journalist in 1776 with the well known pamphlet "Common Sense". By the end of this year, he was enlisted in the American army and had begun to write a series of essays, entitled "The American Crisis". At the time these were written, morale was low in the army, and the soldiers were suffering many hardships. So, George Washington ordered that Paine's essay was to be read in front of the troops to inspire them to keep fighting. He sparked a revolutionary spirit amongst the soldiers by using different methods of persuasion. In this excerpt from "The American Crisis, Number 1", Paine used metaphors to provoke feelings of anger and indignation, imagery to inspire his audience, and logic to blatantly show the contrast between mercy and disdain.

It’s the middle of winter. Soldiers huddled together around the fire for warmth as their entire being shakes from the frigid weather. The snow falls lightly upon them, but not as light as their hearts. It’s December 23, 1776, christmas is soon and America is losing the war for independence from Britain, each soldier wishes to return home to their family, for they feel as if all is lost and there is nothing they can possibly do to win the war. All until Thomas Paine presents the soldiers a whole hearted and encouraging speech, “The Crisis”.

One of our greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln, once argued, “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves” (Letter to H.L. Pierce, April 6, 1859). As Lincoln was fighting for freedom for all, he believed that it was morally wrong for one human to own another. He also thought that it was wrong to take away a chance of freedom from others. This relates to Thomas Paine's beliefs: He believed that if someone supports freedom, then they must to join the fight, and if they don’t then their children will have to suffer the consequences. On November 20, 1776, the American forces retreated from Fort Lee because the colonist were struggling to fight against the British. After the American forces retreated, Paine, a political activist and governor of Virginia, wrote a series of sixteen pamphlets called The American Crisis to lift the colonist's sagging spirits due to the devastating loss. In The Crisis No. 1, Paine implements language, a hopeful tone, and diction, to convey his purpose of persuading the men in the colonies to enlist in the war in an effort to retaliate against Great Britain, and assist the army to victory so the future generations don’t have to suffer.

Thomas Paine writes a series of persuasive essays called “The crisis”. Paine writes “The Crisis Volume 1” to talk about how King George's tyranny must be stopped. The United States have suffered enough from being under King George's control. America has to go out and fight even though it will be hard in the beginning. Paine uses the rhetorical strategies such as an aphoristic style and analogy.

America’s triumph in the Revolutionary War against the British brought pure joy and glory. The Americans won! However, it was not without its struggles. It was essential to invoke passion and feeling from the people, otherwise the war would be lost in fear and doubt. One of those who urged people to join the movement, successfully strengthening their Patriotism, was Thomas Paine, an English-American political activist. In Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis,” he utilizes specific elements of style to persuade the Americans to unite and fight against Britain for liberty.

     Paine went on to speak in more conventional terms about the specific nature of the conflict.  He had anticipated that readers would be startled by his conclusions, and defended against possible objections.  Uncertainty in the British Empire, some caused by disturbances in America, was bad for commerce.  England would continue to drag Americans into European wars that were not their affair, said Paine, and protect them only when beneficial to themselves.  Americans would not require their protection; they already had the means to defend their land.  Distance and poor communication across the Atlantic made the centers of government remote from the colonists. Common Sense stressed the need for and the power of unity among the American

Political writer, Thomas Paine, in his persuasive writing, The Crisis No. 1, expresses feelings towards Britain's control over the colonies. Paine's purpose is to unite the colonists in an effort to retaliate against Great Britain. He uses an objective tone in order to unite and rally the common person in his nation.

In the year of 1776, emotions intensify in Colonial America creating an atmosphere prime for dissidence and a yearning for independence. The livid Americans, overtaxed and mistreated by the British after the French and Indian War, debate and argue amongst themselves about the fate of their fledgling colony. The American colonies interested in seeking independence from their motherland Britain, look abroad in hopes of finding moral and political reasons to justify revolution. In the pamphlet, Common Sense, Frenchman Thomas Paine conveys such reasons using rhetorical elements such as figurative language, rhetorical questions, and assertions in order to enhance the morale of the colonists and support the Americans in their revolution against Britain.

Next, the author of “The Crisis № 1”: Thomas Paine, uses aphorisms, while portraying ethos, to get his point across to the colonists. Although Paine uses several aphorisms throughout the first paragraph of the document, there is one that completely sums up what he is fighting for: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph” (Paine 88). This quote explains how King George III acts like the devil and rules like a tyrant. Paine tries to get people to join together during this difficult time. Even though he knows that this will be a tough fight, the victory will be worth it. Aphorisms give the audience, not only an eye opener to the situation, but also a lesson that explains how life operates. Paine uses ethos while describing England’s rule:

Why’d Thomas Paine choose to write the Crisis No.1 ? The Crisis No 1 was published on Dec 4, 1776 he began writing a series of 16 pamphlets, the Crisis No. 1 was one of them, the people feared god will give up on them, god almighty wouldn’t give to military destruction, or leave them unsupported. Thomas Paine uses pathos in Crisis No.1 because he’s explaining how he felt about god, also with people he felt that god was #1 to him and his people dominates him.

American colonists were getting more and more frustrated with the rules being forced onto them by the British, so Thomas Paine’s timing was very crucial in convincing everyone to take such drastic measures. Paine’s structure makes it clear the colonists need only one more final inspiration to fight and he wants to present that as simply as possible by saying, “In the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense...” (Paine n.pag.). Thomas Paine was a patriot of the 1770s, meaning he was one of the people who did not like being controlled by the British. The structure gives Paine a specific tone that seems very understandable and very to-the-point. He is trying to spread the idea that the solution to their Britain problem is very simple, but is overlooked by most colonists before 1776 when the pamphlet was written. He blatantly and clearly presents his argument immediately to his readers to give the colonists confidence and make them feel starting a rebellion will be easy to win and worthwhile to do. The colonists all came to the colonies to gain some freedom from the British Empire, yet are still getting controlled by them without any physical representation.

The 1770s proved to be a time of much chaos and debate. The thirteen colonies, which soon gained their independence, were in the midst of a conflict with Great Britain. The colonies were suffering from repeated injuries and usurpations inflicted upon them by the British. As a result of these inflictions, Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry addressed these injustices, and proved to be very persuasive through providing reasoning and evidence that moved many colonists to believe that to reach contentment and peace the colonies had to rid themselves of British rule. Henry and Paine were successful in swaying their audience, not only because of the rhetorical strategies used, but also because they were passionate about the cause they were committed

After this new start, Paine began his career of publishing articles and pamphlets in the colonies. His first published essay was African Slavery in America. This article argued that slavery was unjust and inhumane. Paine also wrote and co-edited the Pennsylvania Magazine. He used this format to express new ideas and learn about his audience. In January of 1776, Paine published Common Sense, which would unite his fellow colonists on a path to either freedom or “high treason.” Paine continued to publish throughout the ensuing revolution. He published a series of essays titled the American Crisis Papers. These sixteen papers flamed the embers kindled by Common Sense; they urged the colonists to fight against their perpetual enslavement by Great Britain. Although Paine’s early works often sold out, his contemporaries later

Thomas Paine was an English-born political philosopher and writer. The Crisis, published in December 1776, is one of his writings. Paine wrote this document for the American people to persuade them to believe that freedom is worth fighting for. Even though the overall passage has a straightforward message, the reader can also understand that not everyone was able to keep fighting.

It was written in a concise manner that the common people of that century could understand it. Not only was it persuasive but it became an immediate sensation across the colonies. Paine describes how mankind was in a state of equality, but as time changed, the circumstances with it changed. Certain people put themselves as a king over the masses and nature did not approve. “One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule, by giving mankind an ass for a lion” (188). Paine then connects this by saying, even with reconciliation with Great Britain, the disadvantages with it would be too numerous. The dependency would tend to directly involve us with “European wars and quarrels, and set us at variance with nations who would otherwise seek our friendship” (188). Paine finally concludes with how we should stand up against oppression and accept freedom as our ally. “Receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind”