These are the times that try men's souls

Cultural  

1. The opening words of the series of pamphlets The American Crisis, by Thomas Paine, begun in late 1776. Paine, seeking to stir up revolutionary spirit in the colonies, continues, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot may, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

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Paine's words are still quoted occasionally in troublesome situations.

Example Sentences

“As I considered making the decision to run back in 2017 and visited him on Capitol Hill,” Wexton wrote in a statement, “he left me with a parting note on which were written the words of Thomas Paine: ‘These are the times that try men’s souls.

From Washington Post

I suppose that every generation feels, at some point, that “these are the times that try men’s souls.”

From Washington Post

“These are the times that try men’s souls,” Raskin intoned.

From Washington Post

On the far-right message board Gab, one user reposted a Q drop from June: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

From Washington Post

“These are the times, that try men’s souls.”

From Washington Post