Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was an English-born American political writer, revolutionary, and advocate of republican liberty. His major works include Common Sense, The American Crisis, Rights of Man, The Age of Reason, and Agrarian Justice. Paine matters because his pamphlets gave revolutionary politics a direct popular language. Common Sense helped move American opinion toward independence, while The American Crisis encouraged perseverance during war. Rights of Man defended the French Revolution and attacked hereditary monarchy, and The Age of Reason argued for deism while criticizing organized religion. Paine's radicalism made him influential and controversial on both sides of the Atlantic. His quotes often concern government, character, conflict, liberty, and reputation. They endure because they speak in plain, urgent sentences meant to move ordinary readers toward political courage. His pamphlets still show how direct prose can become political force.

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