Thomas Paine was an Englishman who arrived in America in 1774. He was born in England in 1737, to a poor family. He went to school until the age of thirteen. Subsequently, he left to help his father provide for his family. For years he tried to find work, but could not find a job he was satisfied with. Paine moved to America because of a meeting with Benjamin Franklin. Franklin gave Paine letters of introduction, and Paine arrived in Philadelphia. Once there, he began writing for Pennsylvania Magazine and became an editor. His writings were against the slave trade and slavery. Paine was recognized for writing his pamphlet Common Sense. In this pamphlet he explained that the colonies needed immediate sovereignty. In 1776, Common Sense was a success. The pamphlet prepared Americans to write the Declaration of Independence shortly thereafter. The things written by Thomas Paine convinced many colonists to fight for self-government. (Gale, 1)Paine served in Washington's army for some time. The Crisis was a series of pamphlets written by Thomas Paine, where at the beginning he wrote: “These are the times that try the souls of men. The summer soldier and sunny patriot will, in this crisis, retire from service to his country.” (Paine, 1) Although Paine was successful, he did not make much money. He had helped establish the Constitution of 1776, where he abolished slavery. Paine ended the crisis expecting the revolution to be accomplished. (Gale, 2) In 1776, the War for American Independence entered its second year. The fight at Lexington and Concord that started the revolution. Even as the American Revolution was entering its second year of fighting, not many had signed up to join the cause. Defeat seemed likely for t... middle of paper... annoyed by his encouraging words. With their inspiration, the soldiers won the Battle of Trenton and reenlisted to continue fighting for America's freedom. Thomas Paine, an unknown man and an unimportant journalist as a young man, became an important person who contributed to the victory of the American Revolution. Without his pamphlet, the soldiers would not have been encouraged or inspired and might have lost the Battle of Trenton, resulting in America's brutal defeat overall. (Crompton, 2)Works CitedCrompton, Samuel Willard. "The crisis." Facts on file. Facts on File, 2006. Web. December 11, 2013. "Thomas Paine." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 66-67. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. December 11, 2013. Ghallager, Edward J. “Thomas Paine's CRISIS 1 and the Comfort of Time.” Ebsco guest. Ebsco Host, June 2010. Web. 11 December. 2013.