Biography ofthomas paine

At this time he also had become co-editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine On arriving in Philadelphia, Paine had sensed the rise of tension, and the spirit of rebellion, that had steadily mounted in the Colonies after the Boston Teaparty and when the fightings had started, in Aprilwith the battles of Lexington and Concord. In Paine's view the Colonies had all the right to revolt against a government that imposed taxes on them but which did not give them the right of representation in the Parliament at Westminster.

But he went even further: for him there was no reason for the Colonies to stay dependent on England. On January 10, Paine formulated his ideas on american independence in his pamphlet Common Sense. In his Common SensePaine states that sooner or later independence from England must come, because America had lost touch with the mother country.

In his words, all the arguments for separation of England are based on nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense. Government was necessary evil that could only become safe when it was representative and altered by frequent elections. The function of government in society ought to be only regulating and therefore as simple as possible.

At the age of 13, he began working with his father as stay maker the thick rope stays used on sailing ships in Thetford, a shipbuilding town. Some sources state he and his father were corset makers, but most historians cite this as an example of slanders spread by his enemies. He later worked as an officer of the excise, hunting smugglers and collecting liquor and tobacco taxes.

He did not excel at this job, nor at any other early job, and his life in England was, in fact, marked by repeated failures.

Biography ofthomas paine

To compound his professional hardships, aroundPaine's wife and child both died in biography ofthomas paine, and his business, that of making stay ropes, went under. In the summer ofPaine published "The Case of the Officers of Excise," a page article in defense of higher pay for excise officers. It was his first political work, and he spent that winter in London, handing out the 4, copies of the article to members of Parliament and other citizens.

In the spring ofPaine was fired from the excise office and began to see his outlook as bleak. Luckily, he soon met Benjamin Franklinwho advised him to move to America and provided him with letters of introduction to the soon-to-be-formed nation. Paine arrived in Philadelphia on November 30,taking up his first regular employment — helping to edit the Pennsylvania Magazine — in January At this time, Paine began writing in earnest, publishing several articles, anonymously or under pseudonyms.

One of his early articles was a scathing condemnation of the African enslaved people trade, called "African Slavery in America," which he signed under the name "Justice and Humanity. Within five months of Paine's arrival, however, the precipitating event to his most famous work would occur. After the battles of Lexington and Concord April 19,which were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, Paine argued that America should not simply revolt against taxation, but demand independence from Great Britain entirely.

He expanded this idea in a page pamphlet called "Common Sense," which was printed on January 10, Worded in a way that forces the reader to make an immediate choice, "Common Sense" presented the American colonists, who were generally still undecided, with a cogent argument for full-scale revolt and freedom from British rule. And while it likely had little effect on the actual writing of the Declaration of Independence, "Common Sense" forced the issue on the streets, making the colonists see that a grave biography ofthomas paine was upon them and that a public discussion was direly needed.

Once it initiated debate, the article offered a solution for Americans who were disgusted and alarmed at the presence of tyranny in their new land, and it was passed around and read aloud often, bolstering enthusiasm for independence and encouraging recruitment for the Continental Army. Paine wrote "Common Sense" in an unadorned style, forgoing philosophical ponderings and Latin terms, and relying instead on biblical references to speak to the common man, as would a sermon.

Such a belief was to some extent shared by some of the founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson. But, in the early nineteenth century, a revival of religious fervour made his position increasingly unpopular in the mass of society. The last years of his life saw an increasing number of former friends and supporters turn against him for example, George Washington.

One by one most of his old friends and acquaintances had deserted him. Maligned on every side, execrated, shunned and abhorred — his virtues denounced as vices — his services forgotten — his character blackened, he preserved the poise and balance of his soul. He was a victim of the people, but his convictions remained unshaken. Thomas Paine has been a lasting inspiration for secular humanism, deist beliefs, and was also an inspiration to later radicals and socialists.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. Updated 8th January Famous English people — Famous English men and women. The last years of his life saw an increasing number of former friends and supporters turn against him for example, George Washington Thomas Paine died inmourned by few at the time. The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, Portions of this article are based on public domain text from NASA.

Rahman, Tahir Leathers Publishing. ISBN Buckley, Tom June 8, Retrieved July 6, James E. James C. Administrators and deputy administrators of NASA. Keith Glennan James E. Webb Thomas O. Paine James C. Fletcher Robert A. Frosch James M. Beggs James C. Fletcher Richard H. Gregory Christopher Scolese Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. Steve Jurczyk Janet Petro.

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