2. Early Years 2
• Thomas Paine was born January 29, 1737, inThetford,
Norfolk, England, the son of a Quaker corset maker
father called Joseph and hisAnglican mother called
Frances.
• Paine apprenticed for his father but dreamed of a
naval career, attempting once at age 16 to sign onto a
ship called TheTerrible, commanded by someone
named Captain Death, but Paine’s father intervened.
• Three years later he did join the crew of the privateer
ship King of Prussia, serving for one year during the
SevenYears'War.
3. Work 3
• In 1772, he wrote his first pamphlet, "The Case of
the Officers of Excise,“ an argument tracing the
work grievances of his fellow excise officers. Paine
printed 4,000 copies and distributed them to
members of British Parliament.
• Paine arrived in Philadelphia on November 30, 1774,
taking up his first regular employment helping to
edit the Pennsylvania Magazine in January 1775.
• 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."
4. Common
Sense 4
• Paine’s most famous pamphlet, “Common Sense,” was
first published on January 10, 1776, selling over half a
million copies.
• It was written in a way that he knew the American
colonists were able to understand.With a variety of
references to the holy bible and in a way similar to that
to that of a sermon.
• Divided in 4 Parts:
1. Origin and Design of Government.
2. Monarchy and Succession.
3. Thoughts On Present State ofAmerica.
4. The Present Ability ofAmerica.
5. The Age Of
Reason and
Other
Talents 5
• Paine’s two-volume treatise on religion,The Age of
Reason, was published in 1794 and 1795, with a third part
appearing in 1802.
• Among his many talents, Paine was also an
accomplished though not widely-known inventor. Some
of his devices were never developed beyond the
planning stage, but there are a few of note.
• He developed a crane for lifting heavy objects, a
smokeless candle, and tinkered with the idea of using
gunpowder as a method for generating power. Perhaps
his most impressive engineering achievement was the
Sunderland Bridge across theWear River atWearmonth,
England.
6. Final Years 6
• By 1802, Paine was able to sail to Baltimore.
Welcomed by PresidentThomas Jefferson, whom he
had met in France, Paine was a recurring guest at the
White House.
• In 1806, despite failing health, Paine worked on the
third part of his “Age of Reason,” and also a criticism
of Biblical prophesies called “An Essay on Dream.”
• Paine died on June 8, 1809, in NewYork City, and was
buried on his property in New Rochelle. On his
deathbed, his doctor asked him if he wished to accept
Jesus Christ before passing. “I have no wish to believe
on that subject,” Paine replied before taking his final
breath.
