Early Life of Thomas Paine

    

                Thomas was born on January 27, 1737, in Thetford, England.  Though Paine was highly intelligent, he realized at a very young age that he was limited by poverty and social class.  Born to a Quaker father and Anglican mother, Paine was eight years old when he first realized the mercilessness of religion, which caused him to rebel for the rest of his life. Though Paine did not come to America until age thirty-seven, he became an extremely influential figure in promoting the cause for independence and served as a voice for the common man.

                Thomas Paine attended grammar school until age thirteen, when his father was forced to make Thomas apprentice to his trade of corset-making. Paine found this unacceptable and ran away to go to sea at age nineteen. Shortly after, Paine returned to his father’s business, but not for very long. Paine was a tobacconist, a grocer, and a teacher before he settled in Lewes in 1768 as an exciseman. His first wife died in 1760, before their first wedding anniversary. He remarried in 1771, but was legally separated by 1774. Neither of his wives bore him children.

                In Lewes, Paine immersed himself in public affairs and wrote The Case of the Officers of Excise.  He was overly committed to campaigning in London for the organization of and higher salaries for excisemen. His integrity often came into question during his time as an exciseman, which haunted him for the rest of his life.  Paine met Benjamin Franklin in London and, despite scandalous allegations concerning Paine, Franklin realized that Paine was exceedingly brilliant and was much like himself in many ways. In October 1774, Franklin helped Paine emigrate to America.

                Paine established himself as a journalist in Philadelphia. He wrote multiple articles for the Pennsylvania Magazine on various subjects, and, on January 10, 1776, wrote his most famous work.  Common Sense was the very first pamphlet published in America that insisted the nation declare independence without delay. It may have been a short pamphlet, but Common Sense had an enormous impact on Americans and gained Paine fame as a revolutionary propagandist for the rebel cause.

 

Works Cited

       Kreis, Steven. "Thomas Paine, 1737-1809." Historyguide.org. The History Guide, 11 Oct. 2006. Web. 27 Sep. 2012.

       "Thomas Paine." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2003. 704-05. Print.

        -Holly James