Thomas Paine
| Thomas Paine | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of Thomas Paine | |
| Born | February 9, 1737; Thetford, Norfolk, England |
| Died | June 8, 1809 (aged 72); New York City, United States |
| Nationality | English-born American |
| Political affiliation | Patriot; supporter of the French Revolution (Girondin sympathies) |
| Spouse | Mary Lambert (m. 1759–1760); Elizabeth Ollive (m. 1771–1774; separated) |
| Occupation(s) | Pamphleteer, political philosopher, revolutionary |
| Major offices | Deputy to the French National Convention (1792–1793) |
| Known for | Common Sense; The American Crisis; Rights of Man; The Age of Reason |
Thomas Paine (February 9, 1737 – June 8, 1809) was a transatlantic writer and political thinker whose pamphlets fueled democratic revolutions. His 1776 bestseller Common Sense made the case for immediate American independence, while his series The American Crisis rallied morale during the war. Later works, including Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, defended popular sovereignty and religious free inquiry.
Early Life
Born in Thetford, England, to a Quaker father and Anglican mother, Paine worked as a stays-maker, teacher, and excise officer. After professional setbacks, he met Benjamin Franklin, who encouraged him to emigrate. Paine arrived in Philadelphia in late 1774 and soon found a voice as a radical journalist.
Common Sense and Revolution
Published in January 1776, Common Sense argued that hereditary monarchy was illegitimate and that the colonies should form an independent republic with broad representation. Accessible style and moral urgency made it a sensation, accelerating momentum toward the Declaration. During the war, Paine accompanied the army as a volunteer and penned The American Crisis essays — beginning, “These are the times that try men’s souls” — to stiffen resolve.
Europe and Rights of Man
Paine returned to Europe in 1787. As the French Revolution unfolded, he wrote Rights of Man (1791–1792) defending the Revolution and challenging Edmund Burke’s conservatism. Indicted for seditious libel in Britain, he fled to France, where he was elected to the National Convention. He argued against executing Louis XVI and was imprisoned during the Terror.
The Age of Reason and Later Years
While imprisoned he drafted the first part of The Age of Reason, advocating deism and criticizing institutional religion. Released in 1794, he finished the work and later returned to the United States in 1802. Despite earlier fame, Paine spent his final years in relative obscurity in New York, dying in 1809.
Legacy
Paine’s pen helped transform colonial grievance into republican revolution and later linked American and European movements for rights. His insistence on reason, natural rights, and popular sovereignty has remained influential—if often controversial—across political and religious debates.