8/9/2019 A Biography of Thomas Paine (1737-1809) Biographies American History From Revolution To Reconstr

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A Biography of Thomas Paine (1737-1809)Thomas Paine was born on the twenty-ninth of January 1737 atThetford, Norfolk in England, as a son of a Quaker. After a shortbasic education, he started to work, at first for his father, later as anofficer of the excise. During this occupation Thomas Paine was anunsuccesfull man, and was twice dismissed from his post. In 1774,he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who advised him to emigrate toAmerica, giving him letters of recommandation.

Paine landed atPhiladelphia on

November 30, 1774.Starting over as apublicist, he firstpublished hisAfricanSlavery in America, inthe spring of 1775,criticizing slavery inAmerica as being unjustand inhumane. At thistime he also hadbecome co-editor of thePennsylvania MagazineOn arriving inPhiladelphia, Paine hadsensed the rise oftension, and the spirit ofrebellion, that hadsteadily mounted in theColonies after the Boston Teaparty and when the fightings hadstarted, in April 1775, with the battles of Lexington and Concord. InPaine's view the Colonies had all the right to revolt against agovernment that imposed taxes on them but which did not give themthe right of representation in the Parliament at Westminster. But he

went even further: for him there was no reason for the Colonies tostay dependent on England. On January 10, 1776 Paine formulatedhis ideas on american independence in his pamphlet Common Sense.

In his Common Sense, Paine states that sooner or laterindependence from England must come, because America had losttouch with the mother country. In his words, all the arguments forseparation of England are based on nothing more than simple facts,

plain arguments and common sense.Government was necessary evilthat could only become safe when it was representative and alteredby frequent elections. The function of governmentin society ought tobe only regulating and therefore as simple as possible. Notsuprisingly, but nevertheless remarkable was his call for a declarationof independence. Due to the many copies sold (500.000) Paine'sinfluence on the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776 iseminent. Another sign of his great influence is the number of loyalistreactions to Common Sense.

During the War of Independence Paine volunteered in the Continental

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8/9/2019 A Biography of Thomas Paine (1737-1809) Biographies American History From Revolution To Reconstr

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