River Edge NJ ,“These are the times that try men’s souls.” This simple quotation from Founding Father Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis not only describes the beginnings of the American Revolution, but also the life of Paine himself. Throughout most of his life, his writings inspired passion, but also brought him great criticism. He communicated the ideas of the Revolution to common farmers as easily as to intellectuals, creating prose that stirred the hearts of the fledgling United States.
From the Bergen County Historical Society at Historic New Bridge Landing a posting for remembering pamphleteer Thomas Paine’s birthday, (Jan 29, 1737-June 8, 1809), he thought it was important to describe in detail events in Bergen County Nov 20, 1776 to rally the troops and citizens in “The American Crisis”:
