The American Crisis

Thomas Paine was born in Norfolk, England in 1736. He received very little education and worked alongside his father making ship ropes in the shipbuilding town of Thetford. In 1774, after becoming an acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin in London, he moved to America and began working for the Pennsylvania Magazine in January 1775. He began writing political essays and produced a popular pamphlet series called “Common Sense,” which urged colonists to rebel against the British and seek independence.

Once the revolutionary war was underway, Paine began writing his “Crisis” essays, which were also known for their direct, sermon-like style. Paine’s background as a working-class Englishman enabled him to connect with his readers and speak to them as a peer. Paine’s upbringing as an Englishman and his new identity as a colonist give him insight into both countries’ cultures and systems. As a result, his pamphlets are engaging and meaningful to readers of all backgrounds.

Referred to by various names in the text, including Howe, General Howe, and Commander Howe, he was the Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the War for Independence. Paine frequently addresses him in his essays to publicly shame him for contributions to the war or try to sway his mind with political, military, and financial reasoning.