Thomas Paine The Crisis No 1 Essay

Words: 644
Pages: 3

In Thomas Paine's, "The Crisis No. 1" he uses persuasion to influence the colonist to fight against the British in order to gain their independence. At the time Great Britain was ruling over the colonists, revoking their rights. Paine believed that the colonists deserved their own independence and freedom from Britain. Thomas Paine wrote this piece in order to address the situation and give the colonists courage to break free from British rule. To support his argument, Paine includes strong language, religious appeal, and keeps a serious tone throughout his piece. To begin, the author utilizes such strong language when speaking to express the importance of the situation. Paine, so cleverly states "Britain, with an army to enforce …show more content…
Paine explains "God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish" (Paine 44). The idea of being protected by God is comforting. Going from this, Paine persuades the colonists by sharing the belief that God will watch over those who fight. His mission is to give the colonists a sense of security. He guarantees God will protect those who join the rebellion and will watch over those in battle. This gives the colonists courage to have the willingness and hope to fight for their rights. To allude to his point Paine states “throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but 'show your faith by your works,' that God may bless you” (Paine 45). Practice what you preach; if you say you believe in something then act accordingly. The author wants the colonists to prove their faith by acting on it. It's easier to say you'll do something rather than actually putting forth the hard work and effort into it. To summarize, Paine uses the practice of religion to his advantage, in a way that the reader will side with him. By mentioning God, Paine brilliantly addressed the reader personally by choosing something most people have in common; a belief in God. Paine uses the reader's belief in God to ascertain his goal; getting the colonist to fight for their