Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England, on January 29, 1737. His father was a Quaker corset maker and his mother was an Anglican. He received little formal education and worked as a stay maker, a sailor, a tax officer, and a schoolteacher. He married Mary Lambert in 1759, but she died the following year along with their child. He married Elizabeth Ollive in 1771, but they separated in 1774. In 1774, he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who persuaded him to emigrate to America. He arrived in Philadelphia in November 1774 and became a journalist and political writer. He published his most famous pamphlet, Common Sense, in January 1776, which advocated for American independence from Britain. He also wrote a series of essays called The American Crisis, which supported the American Revolution and boosted the morale of the patriots. In 1787, he returned to England and became involved in the French Revolution. He published Rights of Man in 1791, which defended the French Revolution and criticized the British monarchy and aristocracy. He was tried in absentia for seditious libel and outlawed in Britain. He escaped to France and became a member of the National Convention. He wrote The Age of Reason in 1793-1794, which challenged the authority of the Bible and organized religion. He was arrested by the Jacobins for opposing the execution of Louis XVI and narrowly escaped the guillotine. He remained in France until 1802, when he returned to America at the invitation of Thomas Jefferson. He lived in New York City and continued to write on political and social issues. He died on June 8, 1809, at the age of 72. He was buried on his farm in New Rochelle, New York, but his remains were exhumed in 1819 by William Cobbett, an English radical who intended to give him a proper burial in England. However, Cobbett’s plan failed and Paine’s bones were lost or scattered. His original burial site is marked by a monument erected by the Thomas Paine National Historical Association. Paine is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the United States and a champion of democracy, human rights, and free thought. His writings influenced many leaders and movements in America, France, Britain, and other parts of the world. He is remembered for his eloquence, courage, and vision.