Author: Paul is the main author with Silas (Silvanus), and Timothy mentioned.
Audience: The church in Thessalonica
Time: Most likely written during Paul’s 18 month stay in Corinth during his second missionary journey in Acts 18:1-18.
Purpose:
City background: Thessalonica was the capital of the Roman province Macedonia. It was a flourishing trade route and center for philosophy. It was a free city, being a "free city" meant that Thessalonica had a certain level of independence in its governance, including the ability to manage its own affairs, enact its own laws, and administer its own justice system to some extent.
Paul, and Silas (Silvanus) preached in the Thessalonian synagogue and many believed. After this, rioters, instigated by the Jews, dragged Jason, Paul’s host, and other Christians before the politarches, those with authority over the city, and charged them with sedition against Caesar. This forced the missionaries to leave Thessalonica. A few months later, Paul sent Timothy back and then he caught up with Paul in Corinth to update him on the state of the church. Timothy reported that they were doing well but some people had died and the other Christians were grieving because they thought those that died missed out on the second coming.
Acts 17:1-11 describes Paul and Silas’ first visit to Corinth