Thomas Paine | |||||||
Thomas Paine, born a Quaker in 1737 in Norfolk, England, received a basic education and began work immediately thereafter. At the encouragement of Benjamin Franklin, who he met in London, he left for Philadelphia in 1774 and became a publisher and editor. Shortly thereafter he wrote Common Sense, expressing his ideas on American independence. This widely read pamphlet influenced thought and certainly the Declaration of Independence. During the war Paine, a volunteer with the Continental Army, began writing his Crisis papers. He went on to publish Rights of Man, a defense of the French Revolution. While in prison for voting against the execution of the dethroned King Louis XVI, his Age of Reason, a praise of the Age of Enlightenment, was published. For this he was accused of being an atheist. He died in New York City in 1809, during a time when was thought of as a great infidel. Related Links Thomas Paine National Historical Association World Union of Deists' Thomas Paine Page SecularWeb's Online Texts of Thomas Paine Resources by Thomas Paine |
