During the American Revolutionary War, in January 1776, Thomas Paine published his first book, Common Sense, a small pamphlet of only 50 pages. It became extremely popular; aside from the Bible, it was the book most widely read by Americans. Many of the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, including the very name of the nation, The United States of America, were inspired by this pamphlet.

Early Life

Paine was born in England to a poor family. At 13, he worked as a tailor in his father’s shop. Later, he became a tax officer for a local excise office. In 1772, he wrote a 20-page memorandum titled The Case of the Officer of Excise, critiquing the hardships of tax collectors and government bureaucracy. Seen as anti-government, he was dismissed from his post. At 35, with his father’s shop closed and his prospects bleak, Paine met Benjamin Franklin, the American diplomat, marking a turning point in his life.

Franklin recognized Paine’s talent and helped him travel to America in 1774, where he edited the Pennsylvania Magazine in Philadelphia. As the movement for American independence intensified, Paine published the stirring pamphlet Common Sense, advocating freedom and human rights. He even modified the spelling of his surname from “Paine” to “Paint,” symbolizing the suffering inflicted by British oppression.

Influence on the Revolution

Militiamen in the Revolution often carried Common Sense in their packs; they read it, shared it, and listened to it. The pamphlet greatly inspired soldiers to fight and played a crucial role in advancing the cause of American independence. Thomas Jefferson, principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence, highly praised Paine, and many of Paine’s ideas were directly incorporated into the Declaration.

Later Life and France

Paine was a true man of the people—he had no wealth, no property, and no established position in America. He had no formal ties to any state. After the Revolution succeeded, feeling without a role in the new nation, he went to France in 1791. There, he supported the French Revolution, participated in drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and wrote The Rights of Man. He was elected to the French National Assembly.

However, Paine opposed the Reign of Terror and the execution of King Louis XVI, which led the radical government to imprison him. While in prison, he wrote The Age of Reason. In 1802, he was released and invited by President Jefferson to return to the United States. Back in America, he still had no formal state affiliation. In his later years, Paine adhered to deism, wrote critical essays against organized religion, and became known for his harsh critiques of Christianity, which alienated many churchgoers.

Death and Legacy

Thomas Paine died in poverty and relative obscurity in New York in 1809 at the age of 72. Despite his immense contributions to American independence, only six people attended his funeral, largely due to his radical views and outspoken criticism of the church. His body was later exhumed by an admirer, William Cobbett, who intended to rebury Paine in England with honor, but the remains were eventually lost. Paine’s final resting place remains a mystery.

Paine’s unflinching attacks on the British king were essential to the Revolutionary War effort. As John Adams noted, without Paine’s pen, the struggle for independence might have been in vain. However, after independence, nearly all the revolutionary leaders, when discussing the new government, still considered the British system as one of the best in the world. Alexander Hamilton even proposed closely modeling the American system on Britain’s constitutional monarchy, though no one openly opposed him; after all, they had just overthrown a king, and they only wanted a president, not another monarch.

In retrospect, Paine was indeed radical. His writings suited the revolutionary moment, but once the war was won, his influence largely faded.