Patriot Echoes – Remembering 250 years of patriot heritage.
- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
The American Crisis
The American Crisis by Thomas Paine (1776)
Introduction
Published on December 23, 1776, The American Crisis by Thomas Paine was the first in a series of pamphlets written to inspire the Continental Army and rally public support for independence. Opening with the immortal line, “These are the times that try men's souls,” Paine’s words were read aloud to Washington’s troops before the pivotal crossing of the Delaware River. His essays continued throughout the war, offering moral clarity, political urgency, and rhetorical firepower to sustain the revolutionary cause.