Thomas Paine was a founding father of the United States and American Writer whose most greatly known piece, “Common Sense” greatly influenced the American Revolution, and helped pave the way for the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England, to a Quaker father and Anglican mother on January 29, 1737.
James received very little formal education but he did learn to read, write, and perform basic math. After failing out of school, he began working his father, Joseph, who was a stay maker.
Thomas later went to sea at the age of 19, after having apprenticed for his father. His time at sea didn’t last long either, as he found himself as a tax officer in England. He wasn’t the best at the role, being discharged from …show more content…
His first occupation was helping to edit the Pennsylvania Magazine in January of 1775. Thomas suddenly became a very important figure as his career turned to journalism while in Philadelphia. During this time, Paine began writing articles under pseudonyms, portraying his firm opinions over real world matters such as condemning African slave trade. In this case, his piece, called “African Slavery in America” was signed under the name “Justice and Humanity.” A few months after his arrival to America, he would come to write his most famous work of art. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were the first historical events involving military engagement of the American Revolutionary War, he came to a conclusion that not only should we revolt against unjust taxation, but demand independence from Great Britain in its entirety. He published Common Sense in 1776, a 50-page pamphlet depicting a “strong defense of American independence from England.” Although “Common Sense” likely had little effect on the writing of the Declaration of Independence, it did pose a cogent argument for full-scale revolt and freedom from British rule and forced the grave issue into people’s minds, making the colonists realize that something had to be done. Although he wasn’t a success as a soldier, he traveled with the continental army as volunteer personal assistant to General Nathanael Greene and wrote American Crisis (1776), as well as 15 other “Crisis Papers” which inspired the Army to keep fighting. As George Washington’s army troops were decimating, he ordered the prestigious pamphlet to be read in hopes of inflaming them to
Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England, to a Quaker father and Anglican mother on January 29, 1737.
James received very little formal education but he did learn to read, write, and perform basic math. After failing out of school, he began working his father, Joseph, who was a stay maker.
Thomas later went to sea at the age of 19, after having apprenticed for his father. His time at sea didn’t last long either, as he found himself as a tax officer in England. He wasn’t the best at the role, being discharged from …show more content…
His first occupation was helping to edit the Pennsylvania Magazine in January of 1775. Thomas suddenly became a very important figure as his career turned to journalism while in Philadelphia. During this time, Paine began writing articles under pseudonyms, portraying his firm opinions over real world matters such as condemning African slave trade. In this case, his piece, called “African Slavery in America” was signed under the name “Justice and Humanity.” A few months after his arrival to America, he would come to write his most famous work of art. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were the first historical events involving military engagement of the American Revolutionary War, he came to a conclusion that not only should we revolt against unjust taxation, but demand independence from Great Britain in its entirety. He published Common Sense in 1776, a 50-page pamphlet depicting a “strong defense of American independence from England.” Although “Common Sense” likely had little effect on the writing of the Declaration of Independence, it did pose a cogent argument for full-scale revolt and freedom from British rule and forced the grave issue into people’s minds, making the colonists realize that something had to be done. Although he wasn’t a success as a soldier, he traveled with the continental army as volunteer personal assistant to General Nathanael Greene and wrote American Crisis (1776), as well as 15 other “Crisis Papers” which inspired the Army to keep fighting. As George Washington’s army troops were decimating, he ordered the prestigious pamphlet to be read in hopes of inflaming them to