You’ve probably heard of Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Hanco-ck, and George Washington – all men who played a vital role in the Revolutionary War, but what about Thomas Paine? Most of the Founding Fathers were highly educated, wealthy men who held prominent positions. Thomas Paine was a man of the people. His fiery pamphlet, Common Sense, inspired people everywhere to fight for the cause of liberty.

Fun Facts

• Thomas Paine was born in England in 1737. He failed in school and later became a tax collector. He was fired twice from this job. He came to America in 1774 and studied journalism.

• Paine joined the Continental Army, but wasn’t a very successful soldier. Then he wrote a short political pamphlet, Common Sense, which urged Americans to seek freedom from Great Britain.

• Paine’s writing was simple and easy to understand. Americans hadn’t been thinking about independence from Great Britain, but Paine’s writing inspired them. More than 150,000 copies were sold in just a few months.

• George Washington used Paine’s words to rally troops. He said, “These are the times that try men’s souls. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

• Thomas Paine played a vital role in the American Revolution, but his later writing angered people and made them forget the good work he had done during the Revolutionary War.

• Paine wrote papers against organized religion, which made him very unpopular. He was thrown in prison and almost executed in France for his political views during the French Revolution.

• Paine died in 1809. Only six people attended his funeral.

Vocabulary

1. Prominent: important, visible

2. Pamphlet: a short booklet or paper containing only a few pages

3. Unpopular: disliked by most people

Questions and Answers

Question: Did anyone else encourage the colonists to seek independence from Great Britain?

Answer: Samuel Adams had been urging Congress to seek independence for several months, but he wasn’t as skilled at reaching the common people.

Learn More

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