This was a particularly low point in the American effort
for independence, in that we had faced a long series of military defeats, and
Washington's army was a shadow of its original size and quality. Most of America's
major cities had been recaptured by the British by that time and it looked like the
Revolution might indeed fail.
The less than 2000 soldiers
that remained, however, were veterans, and determined, committed troops. Through sheer
force of will, they beat the Hessians at Trenton, and another British force at Princeton
shortly after. This raised morale, gained badly needed supplies and helped to recruit
fresh troops.
From the civilian side, Americans both
willingly and unwillingly contributed food, money and supplies to the American
revolutionary effort, provided intelligence information of British troop movements and
strengths, and often cared for the wounded soldiers. What's not as well known is that a
large number of Americans also remained loyalist to the King and provided the same
assistance to the British side.
Since your question refers
specifically to The Crisis by Thomas Paine, published in 1776, his
efforts as a writer who could distill the principles of the cause down into simple and
understandable phrases for the average American and soldier helped to unify the army
around the cause, and to understand what they were fighting
for.
Among his more famous
passages:
These are times that try men’s souls. The summer
soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of men and
women.
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