# Congress — The American Crisis character guide

> Congress in The American Crisis by Thomas Paine.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Congress

**First appearance:** 0002-the-crisis-i

## Snapshot

The Continental Congress, America's fragile governing body, whose deliberations and decrees Paine treats as the collective voice of a people learning to rule themselves.

## Who they are

Congress is less a character than a chorus, its resolutions and proclamations echoing through Paine's arguments as evidence that Americans have built legitimate authority. Paine worries about its weakness, its dependence on state cooperation, and the petty factionalism that threatens unity. Yet he insists that Congress, however imperfect, represents something unprecedented: a government deriving its power from the governed, answerable to them alone.

## Relationships

### [George Washington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/characters/george_washington)

_professional_

The Continental Congress appointed and oversaw General Washington as commander of the American army.

## In the story

### [The Crisis II: To Lord Howe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-ii-to-lord-howe)

American governing body, asserted as having equal authority to the British Parliament.

### [The Crisis III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-iii)

Implied as the body that must act against disaffection and support independence.

### [The Crisis IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-iv)

Implied as the governing body supporting the war effort, though not explicitly named in this excerpt.

### [The Crisis VI: To the Earl of Carlisle, General Clinton, and William Eden, Esq., British Commissioners at New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-vi-to-the-earl-of-carlisle-general-clinton-and-william-eden-esq-british-commissioners-at-new-york)

Implied as the body that formed the treaty with France.

### [The Crisis VII: To the People of England](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-vii-to-the-people-of-england)

Referenced as the body that honored Paine with friendship, representing the American political leadership.

### [The Crisis VIII: Address to the People of England](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-viii-address-to-the-people-of-england)

Referenced as having descended below its character to avoid war, highlighting America's initial reluctance to fight.

### [The Crisis IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-ix)

Implied in the context of government measures and laws for recruiting and taxation.

### [The Crisis Extraordinary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-extraordinary)

Referenced in relation to the recommendation of March 18th for funding the currency and issuing new money.

### [To the People of America](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/to-the-people-of-america)

The representative body that estimates war expenses and apportions quotas among the states.

### [The Crisis XI: On the Present State of News](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-xi-on-the-present-state-of-news)

The American governing body that Paine expects to reject dishonorable British proposals.

### [The Crisis XII: To the Earl of Shelburne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-xii-to-the-earl-of-shelburne)

The governing body of America, whose repeated declarations against negotiations without independence are cited.

### [The Crisis XIII: Thoughts on the Peace, and Probable Advantages Thereof](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/the-crisis-xiii-thoughts-on-the-peace-and-probable-advantages-thereof)

Congress is implied in the context of treaties and national sovereignty under the United States.

### [A Supernumerary Crisis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/chapters/a-supernumerary-crisis)

The national body whose recommendations for an import duty were opposed by some states, weakening American bargaining power.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/characters/congress
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_american_crisis_se/characters