The American Crisis

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Thomas Paine’s <i>The American Crisis</i> was a pamphlet series published from 1776 until 1783. This pamphlet was number five in the series, originally published March 21, 1778. The pamphlet was addressed to General William Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in North America. While Howe sent a letter of resignation in 1777, he did not depart the Colonies until May of 1778. Paine attacks him generally for his unjust war against the colonies, and specifically for actions like distributing counterfeit colonial currency.