Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was born in Thetford, England, and emigrated to the American colonies in 1774. His pamphlet "Common Sense" (1776) galvanized public support for independence, while "The American Crisis" series bolstered morale during the Revolutionary War. In the 1790s, he defended the French Revolution in "Rights of Man" and critiqued organized religion in "The Age of Reason." These works, collected in our library as "Essays," "The American Crisis," and "The Age of Reason," established him as a radical voice for secularism and republican government. Despite facing persecution and exile, Paine's clear, persuasive prose influenced democratic movements worldwide. His legacy endures as a foundational writer of the Enlightenment and a champion of universal rights.