Revolutionary Leaders: Thomas Paine By USHistory.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.10.17 Word Count 745 Thomas Paine Public Domain Synopsis: "These are the times that try men's souls." This quote from "The American Crisis" by Thomas Paine is not just about the American Revolution, it also describes Paine's life. Throughout his career, his writings inspired some people and made others angry. He had a talent for communicating the ideas of the American Revolution just as easily to simple farmers as to educated scholars. Paine had great plans for the young United States. He was against slavery, argued for a world peace organization, and wanted to provide support for the poor and elderly. However, his views on the church would destroy his success. When he died, only a few people went to his funeral. Birth And Early Career On January 29, 1737, Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England. He failed both at school and at learning his father's garment trade. After spending some time at sea, he became a tax collector in England. He was fired twice but wrote an article arguing for a pay raise for officers. In a sign of his future writing success, the article was published. In 1774 he met Benjamin Franklin in London. Franklin helped Paine move to Philadelphia. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
Thinking About Freedom While in Philadelphia, Thomas Paine became an important journalist. The colonists were thinking about breaking away from Britain, and Paine wrote in favor of their cause. Americans struggled with the idea of freedom from England. Most of the people in the colonies were raised to believe that England and its king were to be loved. Many people were also afraid of how the British would react, having seen how they treated the people in Ireland who tried to rebel. Even if the revolution was a success, mob rule could follow. Besides, life for the average American at the time was actually better than it was for the average Briton. Still, there was unfair treatment the colonists could not forget, namely high taxes. Americans were divided against themselves. Paine would argue for independence. "Common Sense" In 1776 in Philadelphia, he published "Common Sense." The four-part pamphlet challenged the power of the British government. Paine used plain language that was welcomed by the public. It was the first published work to openly ask for independence from England. Nearly 120,000 copies of "Common Sense" were printed. Paine's brilliant arguments were straightforward. Besides freedom from Britain, he wanted America to become a democratic republic. In a democratic republic, the people elect government officials to make decisions for them. Many other revolutionary leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams thought this part of the plan went too far. Paine wrote in the language of the people, often using the Bible as a reference. Paine was not religious, but he knew his readers were and used the familiar language of the Bible to reach them. "Common Sense" generated support for the American Revolution. It was published anonymously. Many readers thought Adams might be its author. Adams said he did not write it. The War Paine traveled with the Continental Army but was a poor soldier. Still, his writing contributed to the war effort. He published a collection called "The American Crisis." This popular booklet helped to gain support for the Revolution. General George Washington found the first essay so inspiring that he ordered that it be read to the troops at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Return To Europe And Death After the end of the Revolutionary War, Paine returned to Europe. In 1791-92, he wrote "The Rights of Man" in reply to arguments against the French Revolution. He was then named an outlaw in England because he was against the king. He ran away to France, joining the government of the revolution. By 1793, he was imprisoned in France because he did not support putting the French king, Louis XVI, to death. While in prison, he wrote and distributed the first part of "The Age of Reason." This would become his most famous work at the time. In it, he wrote against the church. James Monroe, who was U.S. minister to France, helped to get him released in 1794. Paine remained in France until 1802 when Thomas Jefferson asked him to return to America. Paine discovered that no one paid attention to how he had helped the American Revolution because of his views on the church. Made fun of by the public and shunned by his friends, he died on June 8, 1809, at the age of 72 in New York City. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Which sentence from the section "Common Sense" BEST supports the idea that Paine's pamphlet successfully persuaded people? The four-part pamphlet challenged the power of the British government. It was the first published work to openly ask for independence from England. Paine wrote in the language of the people, often using the Bible as a reference. "Common Sense" generated support for the American Revolution. 2 Based on information in the article, which of these statements is TRUE? Paine was the only journalist who wrote about independence from England. Many colonists did not think that separation from England was necessary. Paine's experience as a skilled soldier helped him write "The American Crisis." Many people recognized Paine's contributions to America right after he died. 3 What are the MAIN ideas of this article? 1. Paine was a tax collector in England before he moved to Philadelphia. 2. Paine helped Americans see how important it was to start a democratic republic. 3. Paine's ideas about human rights influenced the French Revolution. 4. Paine was released from jail by the U.S. minister to France in 1794. 1 and 3 1 and 4 2 and 4 2 and 3 This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
4 Which detail from the article BEST reflects a MAIN goal of Paine's writings during the Revolutionary War? He was fired twice but wrote an article arguing for a pay raise for officers. Besides freedom from Britain, he wanted America to become a democratic republic. It was published anonymously. Many readers thought Adams might be its author. Paine discovered that no one paid attention to how he had helped the American Revolution because of his views on the church. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5