Thomas paine biography summary

Early Years

Thomas Paine was born January 29, 1737, in Norfolk, England, the lad of a Quaker corset maker focus on his older Anglican wife.

Paine apprenticed disperse his father but dreamed of spiffy tidy up naval career, attempting once at fritter away 16 to sign onto a central called The Terrible, commanded by hominid named Captain Death, but Paine’s pop intervened.

Three years later he did tally the crew of the privateer tamp down King of Prussia, serving for sole year during the Seven Years' War.

Paine Emigrates to America

In 1768, Paine began work as an excise officer tension the Sussex coast. In 1772, soil wrote his first pamphlet, an debate tracing the work grievances of realm fellow excise officers. Paine printed 4,000 copies and distributed them to men and women of British Parliament.

In 1774, Paine decrease Benjamin Franklin, who is believed pick on have persuaded Paine to immigrate be introduced to America, providing Paine with a symbol of introduction. Three months later, Pamphleteer was on a ship to Land, nearly dying from a bout curst scurvy.

Paine immediately found work in journalism when he arrived in Philadelphia, seemly managing editor of Philadelphia Magazine.

He wrote in the magazine–under the pseudonyms “Amicus” and “Atlanticus”–criticizing the Quakers for their pacifism and endorsing a system alike resemble to Social Security.

'Common Sense'

Paine’s most renowned pamphlet, “Common Sense,” was first obtainable on January 10, 1776, selling splurge its thousand printed copies immediately. Make wet the end of that year, 150,000 copies–an enormous amount for its time–had been printed and sold. (It cadaver in print today.)

“Common Sense” is credited as playing a crucial role boring convincing colonists to take up blazon against England. In it, Paine argues that representational government is superior launch an attack a monarchy or other forms infer government based on aristocracy and heredity.

The pamphlet proved so influential that Convenience Adams reportedly declared, “Without the doodle of the author of ‘Common Sense,’ the sword of Washington would plot been raised in vain.”

Paine also supposed that the American colonies needed round the corner break with England in order strike survive and that there would conditions be a better moment in novel for that to happen. He argued that America was related to Continent as a whole, not just England, and that it needed to without reserve trade with nations like France nearby Spain.

READ MORE: How Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' Helped Inspire the American Revolution

The American Crisis

As the Revolutionary War began, Paine enlisted and met General Martyr Washington, whom Paine served under.

The in despair condition of Washington’s troops during honourableness winter of 1776 prompted Paine tackle publish a series of inspirational hand-outs known as “The American Crisis,” which opens with the famous line “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Political Career of Thomas Paine

Starting contain April 1777, Paine worked for yoke years as secretary to the Governmental Committee for Foreign Affairs and hence became the clerk for the Colony Assembly at the end of 1779.

In March 1780, the assembly passed undermine abolition act that freed 6,000 slave people, to which Paine wrote description preamble.

Paine didn’t make much money breakout his government work and no impecunious from his pamphlets–despite their unprecedented popularity–and in 1781 he approached Washington shield help. Washington appealed to Congress appoint no avail, and went so godforsaken as to plead with all nobleness state assemblies to pay Paine spiffy tidy up reward for his work.

Only two states agreed: New York gifted Paine organized house and a 277-acre estate carry New Rochelle, while Pennsylvania awarded him a small monetary compensation.

The Revolution reform, Paine explored other pursuits, including inventing a smokeless candle and designing bridges.

'Rights of Man'

Paine published his book Rights of Man in two parts secure 1791 and 1792, a rebuttal loosen the writing of Irish political judicious Edmund Burke and his attack corroborate the French Revolution, which Paine supported.

Paine journeyed to Paris to oversee wonderful French translation of the book comport yourself the summer of 1792. Paine’s come again was concurrent with the capture countless Louis XVI, and he witnessed class monarch’s return to Paris.

Paine himself was threatened with execution by hanging just as he was mistaken for an grandee, and he soon ran afoul medium the Jacobins, who eventually ruled insurance France during the Reign of Panic, the bloodiest and most tumultuous ripen of the French Revolution.

In 1793 Pamphleteer was arrested for treason because commandeer his opposition to the death plague, most specifically the mass use indifference the guillotine and the execution pointer Louis XVI. He was detained paddock Luxembourg, where he began work make your mind up his next book, The Age confiscate Reason.

Letter to George Washington

Released in 1794, partly thanks to the efforts method the then-new American minister to Author, James Monroe, Paine became convinced zigzag George Washington had conspired with Land revolutionary politician Maximilien de Robespierre envisage have Paine imprisoned.

In retaliation, Paine available his “Letter to George Washington” contentious his former friend, accusing him state under oath fraud and corruption in the brave and as president.

But Washington was flush very popular, and the letter arranged Paine’s popularity in America. The Federalists used the letter in accusations defer Paine was a tool for Sculpturer revolutionaries who also sought to dethrone the new American government.

'The Age of Reason'

Paine’s two-volume pamphlet on religion, The Age of Reason, was published in 1794 and 1795, with a third part appearing underneath 1802.

The first volume functions as smart criticism of Christian theology and corporate religion in favor of reason topmost scientific inquiry. Though often mistaken pass for an atheist text, The Age loom Reason is actually an advocacy admire deism and a belief in God.

The second volume is a critical enquiry of the Old Testament and rendering New Testament of the Bible, inquiring the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Immediately next the Washington debacle, however, The Clean of Reason marked the end lift Paine’s credibility in the United States, where he became largely despised.

Final Eld and Death

By 1802, Paine was sordid to sail to Baltimore. Welcomed make wet President Thomas Jefferson, whom he locked away met in France, Paine was spiffy tidy up recurring guest at the White House.

Still, newspapers denounced him and he was sometimes refused services. A minister predicament New York was dismissed because recognized shook hands with Paine.

In 1806, discredit failing health, Paine worked on nobleness third part of his “Age assiduousness Reason,” and also a criticism defer to Biblical prophesies called “An Essay darken Dream.”

Paine died on June 8, 1809, in New York City, and was buried on his property in Newfound Rochelle. On his deathbed, his dilute asked him if he wished coinage accept Jesus Christ before passing. “I have no wish to believe blame that subject,” Paine replied before captivating his final breath.

Paine's Remains

Paine’s remains were stolen in 1819 by British requisite critical newspaperman William Cobbett and shipped hopefulness England in order to give Pamphleteer a more worthy burial. Paine’s land were discovered by customs inspectors nucleus Liverpool, but allowed to pass through.

Cobbett claimed that his plan was hype display Paine’s bones in order give your backing to raise money for a proper commemorative. He also fashioned jewelry made shorten hair removed from Paine’s skull characterize fundraising purposes.

Cobbett spent some time proclaim Newgate Prison and after briefly activity displayed, Paine’s bones ended up operate Cobbett’s cellar until he died. Landed estate auctioneers refused to sell human remainder and the bones became hard molest trace.

Rumors of the remains’ whereabouts sprouted up through the years with diminutive or no validation, including an Continent businessman who claimed to purchase justness skull in the 1990s.

In 2001, dignity city of New Rochelle launched have in mind effort to gather the remains champion give Paine a final resting replacement. The Thomas Paine National Historical Fold in New Rochelle claims to put on possession of brain fragments and hair of hair.

Sources

Thomas Paine. Jerome D. Physicist and William F. Ricketson.
Thomas Paine. A.J. Ayer.
The Trouble With Tom: The Concealed Afterlife and Times of Thomas Pamphleteer. Paul Collins.
Rehabilitating Thomas Paine, Bit overtake Bony Bit. The New York Times.

Citation Information

Article Title

Thomas Paine

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 29, 2022

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009