The Writings of Thomas Paine — Volume 1: The American Crisis

Thomas PaineProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
443K words
Chapters
45

Tags

English Originals Politics Political PamphletWar of IndependenceCivic AwarenessCrisis WritingPatriotismIntellectual EnlightenmentCall to ArmsPolemical ProseColonial AmericaModern China

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Writings of Thomas Paine — Volume 1 (1774-1779): The American Crisis by PaineAuthor: Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809,Language: English, Class: JC: Political science: Political theory, Release Date: Feb 1, 2003

Editor's review

This book is a collection of Thomas Paine's "The American Crisis" series, a primary source in the history of political thought and revolutionary propaganda. Its value lies not in systematic theoretical construction but in presenting the on-the-spot voice of a radical political writer during the hardest phase of the War of Independence: plain and urgent prose, skillful use of contrast and direct address, translating abstract claims for independence into circumstances and responsibilities ordinary readers could grasp. For readers studying the history of the American Revolution, political rhetoric, and public writing, it is first-hand material for understanding how revolutionary mobilization spread through the printing medium. It should be read in the military and public-opinion context of 1776 to 1779, with attention to its argumentative strategies and emotional mobilization rather than measured against the rigor of modern academic papers. Suitable as a text for focused study or writing analysis, not a first choice for a general history introduction.

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Reading tips

  1. First understand the course of the war from 1776 to 1779, then read essay by essay to avoid reading out of context.
  2. Read in order of composition and note how Paine adjusts tone and focus of argument with the war situation.
  3. Mark direct address, rhetorical questions, and contrast sentences as you read to appreciate how mobilizing rhetoric works.
  4. Read alongside other pamphlets of the revolutionary period to observe commonalities and differences in public writing.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45

FAQ

Is this a complete historical work or a collection of articles? It is a collection of Paine's "The American Crisis" political essays, each originally published during the war with strong topical relevance and propagandistic purpose. It is therefore not a continuous general history; each essay should be understood in its specific year and turning point of the war.
Can readers with average English read this book? Paine's prose is known for being plain and forceful, and the sentences are not overly difficult, but they involve many figures, battles, and political contexts of the time. Readers with average English are advised to use an annotated edition or a related historical introduction, building background first before entering the text.
What is the significance of reading this book today? Its significance lies mainly in observing how political ideas are transformed into mobilizing writing aimed at the public. For readers studying the history of propaganda, rhetorical strategy, and public expression, its methods of handling crisis and shaping consensus still have analytical value, though its specific historical context must be kept in mind.

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About the author

Thomas Paine Author · American (English-born) · 1737–1809

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was an American thinker and writer born in England, and an important political propagandist during the American Revolutionary War. His 1776 pamphlet Common Sense called on the North American colonies to break away from Britain and had a wide influence on public opinion; he later published The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, and took part in the French Revolution. He wrote mainly political pamphlets, in plain and forceful language, and was skilled at turning abstract political principles into arguments ordinary readers could readily understand, arousing both attention and controversy in Britain and America. Pieces such as The American Crisis likewise show his style of intervening in public affairs through writing. The library holds 8 of his works, including The Rights of Man, Common Sense, The Age of Reason, and several volumes of his collected writings; public information on the details of his life is limited.