Thomas Paine (1737-1809):
Thomas Paine. Copy of engraving after George Rommey. Thomas
Paine was an Anglo-American political philosopher, whose
writings had great influence during the American Revolution
(1775-1783) and the French Revolution (1789-1799). Paine
published the 50-page pamphlet, Common Sense, on January 10,
1776. The document, his most famous work, asserted that the
American colonies received no special advantage from Great
Britain and that Great Britain was exploiting them. He wrote
that every consideration of common sense called for the colonies
to become independent and establish a government of their own.
The document went on to criticize the monarchy as an institution
and sold more than 500,000 copies. Common Sense helped to
encourage the issuance of the Declaration of Independence six
months later. Paine also wrote a series of pamphlets between
1776 and 1783 entitled The American Crisis. George Washington
ordered the pamphlets to be read to his troops hoping that they
would then be inspired to endure. |
