Have you ever heard this quote, or of this man? Don't worry if you haven't. Despite how very important he was to the creation of our nation, most people don't know him or the quote at all.   Thomas Paine was an English-American political activist, author, political theorist, and revolutionary. As the author of two highly influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, he inspired the Patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. 

The present times in which we are currently living have been quite trying for all of us, but just as the Patriots persevered in winning their independence, we too will continue our course of action (to learn and achieve) in the face of great difficulty.