with a partner, discuss what was going on in the American colonies during the early 1770's. What kinds of things were "trying men's souls"?

The American Revolutionary War and the fight for freedom

Explanation:

Thomas Paine believed that freedom, and a republican government were common sense and should be supported by most people in the colonies. However, he knew that achieving those two things would be very difficult, and the battle against Britain was hard.

This led Thomas Paine to conclude that it was a good thing because something as valuable as freedom should be won after hardship, since it would lead people to value it more. He referred to this struggle as "trying men's souls" because they fight for one's freedom is also the fight for one's soul.