George Washington, of course, was elected unanimously to be the new General to lead the now United Colonial Army to fight the British in what was becoming the Revolutionary War.

He had some interesting help along the way. Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, General von Steuben, Nathan Hale, and even Thomas Paine. Paine was there when Washington crossed the Delaware for that famous battle of Trenton (and Princeton).

By night Paine sat by the campfire and used a drum head for a desk to write his 8 page pamphlet “The American Crisis.” Thomas Paine then walked 35 miles to Philadelphia where the editor of the Pennsylvania Journal, a newspaper, read his thesis written from his notes. The editor found it all worthy of printing. He published it immediately, printing 18,000 copies.

Paine returned to Washington’s camp, and George was one of the first to read the new essay. He gathered together his demoralized troops and read this masterpiece to them. Among the inspirational thoughts they heard were these words:

“These are the 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 man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: ‘Tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.”

In pondering these thoughts while printing them here, I couldn’t help but think that perhaps, even today in our political climate, we may esteem our Freedom too lightly, and should reconsider our values.