Editing Thomas Paine (section)

===''The American Crisis'' (1776)===
In late 1776, Paine published ''[[The American Crisis]]'' pamphlet series to inspire the Americans in their battles against the British army. He juxtaposed the conflict between the good American devoted to civic virtue and the selfish provincial man.<ref>Martin Roth, "Tom Paine and American Loneliness." ''Early American Literature,'' September 1987, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 175–182.</ref> To inspire his soldiers, General [[George Washington]] had ''The American Crisis'', first ''Crisis'' pamphlet, read aloud to them.<ref>{{Cite web
 | title = Thomas Paine. The American Crisis. Philadelphia, Styner and Cist, 1776–77.
 | publisher = Indiana University
 | url = http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/history/american-crisis.html
 | access-date = November 15, 2007
 | archive-date = October 20, 2019
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191020025835/http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/history/american-crisis.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> It begins:

{{blockquote|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 their 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. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.}}