"The period is now arrived, in which either they or we must change our sentiments, or one or both must fall. And what is a Tory? Good God! what is he? I should not be afraid to go with a hundred Whigs against a thousand Tories, were they to attempt to get into arms. Every Tory is a coward; for servile, slavish, self-interested fear is the foundation of Toryism; and a man under such influence, though he may be cruel, never can be brave."
From The American Crisis by Thomas Paine.
The American Crisis was written for an audience of colonists whom he hoped would understand the need for American independence from Great Britain. He used rhetorical strategies and plain style and diction that would allow him to connect to his audience and appeal to everyone. His descriptive words and rhetorical appeal allowed for his writing to be a powerful political tool in the Revolutionary War.