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History!Historyisoftensaidtobeshapedbytheactionsofindividuals;bythataphorismyoucanrightlyconcludethatithaditsfairshareofinterestingindividuals.Wellthisputsmeinthebeautifulplaceofselectingaperson.Doingsuchatas isharderthanonemightseeonthesurface.Icantspea foreveryoneelsebutformeoneindividualstic outinthewidecrowdofexcellence.ThomasPaine;hisnamewillforeverbeetchedinmyheart.Anaveragepersonwillnevergivemuchthoughttohisimpact.Weshouldrememberthegreatpeoplesofthepastsotheydon tgetengulfedbytheunrelentingepochsofhistory.WhyshouldwerememberTomPaineyousay?Weshouldhonorhisnamebecauseofhisideals,impactandhisinnovation.Paine sdriving-mechanismswerehisowntenacity,innovative,passionanddetermination.Perhapswestudyhimsoitmightigniteoursenseoftenacity,innovative,passionanddetermination.Thisradicaljournalist sactionshasshapedourveryexistence.

TomPaineisonesuchindividualthateveryoneseems nowthenameofbutlac sufficientinformationofhim.Whowashe?ThomasPaineistheunsungherooftherevolution,theoddballfoundingfather,thefirebrand,theagitator,therebel,thefreethin er,thereformer,thewriter.SoTomwasmanythingsbutoneothermajorthinghewasaproductoftheEnlightenmentwhichinitsselfwasabyproductoftheRenaissance.Amanofhumbleoriginscomparedtomanyofthearistocraticfoundingfathers.NoonecouldevercalculatethatthismanhailingfromThetf

ord,EnglandthesonofapoorQua erwouldhaveprofoundeffectsonhistoryandliberty.ThefirstsagaofPaineslifewouldseemnothingbutaseriesoffailurestoanobserverwithno nowledgeofPainesimpendingfame.ForPainelifewouldalwaysalargestrugglefromstarttoendwithveryfewbrea sinbetween;themanwhowouldmelttheshac lesoftyrannyinthe13thcolonieswasbornonJanua29,1737inThetford,Norfol ,EnglandtoJosephPaineandFrancesPaine.Bothofhisparentssdifferingreligiousdenominations(PainesmotherwasanAnglican)playedavitalroleinthema ingofhischaracter,itmostli elyinstalledreligiouss epticisminhim.FromonsetPainesdestinyloo sdeterminedtofollowthefootstepsofhisfathertobeastayma erforlifeafterallinthosetimestherewashardlyanyopportunitiesforthecommonfol s.Tomattendedschoolashortwhile;hewasforcedtodropoutduetofamilyspoorincome.Thiswouldbeonlyformaleducationhewouldeverreceivedinhislife.PaineinEnglandtoput

itbluntlywasaloser;nameafailurethatapersongoesthroughmorethanli elyainehadit.ThejobsPainetoo uprangedfromTaxcollectortoprivateer,heeitherquitorwasfired.Successinhispersonallifewasalmostamirrorimageofthemiserablenonexistentsuccessinhiscareerfields.Histwomarriagesdidntbringmuchcomfort,thefirstonewastoMaryLambertwhodiedinchildbirthwhilethesecondonewastoElizabethOllivewhichendedindivorce.FinallyPainesawa eningwasarriving;thepersonwhowillchangethecourseofPainesLifewasthelegendaryBenFran lin.BengivePainealetterofrecommendationtoheadtotheAmericas;buoyedbythisandfueledbythefailuresinhislifehevoyagedtowardstothenewworldforanewbeginning.

PainescrossingtotheNewWordalmostdeprivedhimofhislife;eventsinPaineslifeseemtoshowthatdeathlovestobrushupagainstPaine.PainebeganwritingCommonSensethelegendarypamphletthatwillsealPainesnameforever

withtheAmericanIndependence.CommonSensespreadli ethemostincendiary,combustible,contagiousfire,itswordimplantedideasofindependenceli eneverseenbefore,itultimatelyburnedofftheshac lesoftheBritishMonarchy,itgivesuslibertyandwithoutCommonSensehistoryoflibertycannotbewritten.AlloftheeconomicsuccessgainedfromCommonSenseTomdonatedtothefledglingContinentalArmy.ThomasPainewasthemaincatalysttotheDeclarationofIndependencewithouthimnosuchdocumentwouldexist.Beforeyoustartthin ingPainescontributionsceasethere;Painedidmuchashecouldforamaninhisposition.Ananothercontributionisvirtuallyimpossibletooverloo isananotherpamphletnoshoc therePainesmostpowerfulweaponishispen.IfthepamphletCom

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monSensewasli efirethenthepamphletCrisisisli elightning.CrisisreinvigoratetheAmericanforces,itarousedhopebac tolife,itgaveusvictoriesinthedar estdaysoftherevolution,itwordshasenteredtheAmericanPatriotismlexicon.ThepenofThomasPainewillalwaysbelin edtotheAmericanRevolution.ThushavingmadeanameforhimselfPainescravingforsuccessfulwasfulfilled.

TheeventsoftheAmericanRevolutionwereusheringinanewera;aneraofrevolution.AndThomasPainewillbeintheepicenterofthegreatestoftheAtlanticRevolutions.Paineventuredbac tohisnativeEnglandtostartanill-fatedironbridgeproject.TheboilingpointoftheenlightenmentwasarrivingtheFrenchRevolution.IntellectualsonbothsidesoftheAtlanticwerefixedontheFrenchRevolution;manysawitasthesalvationtoabetterworld.Butaslongertherevolutionwentonopinionsweredrivenfartherapart.EdmundBur eawell nownIrish-BritishstatesmandeliveredapowerfulpamphletcalledReflectionsontheRevolutioninFrancedenouncingtheFrenchRevolution.PainestillfocusedonhisironbridgeprojectabandoneditafterhavingreadEdmundBur e sReflectionsontheRevolutioninFrancehewasforcedtowritehiscounterblastRightsofMan.RightsofManisconsideredtobehisbestwor itwasapowerfulcounterargumenttoEdmund swor .Infactmanyofitsidearenderedthemonarchyandaristocracyuseless.Painealwayssoldhiswor atthelowestpossiblepriceinhopesma inghiswor moreaccessibletoawideraudience.ItboughtideastothecommonpeopleideasagainsttheBritishMonarchy;itshoo thefoundationthere.NotlongaftertheBritishgovernmentbeganacrac downonradicalsinspiredfr

omtheFrenchRevolution.Paine sopensupportfortheFrenchRevolutionwasmainghimatargetforauthorities,hequic lyfledEnglandontheadvicefromafriend;IfThomasPainewascapturedhewouldbehangedonthechargesoftreason.Thrustedintothishetoo ashiptowardsRevolutionaryFrance.OncehavingreachFrancehewasgreetedasaheroofman ind;furthermorehewasevenmadeamemberoftheRevolutionaryFrenchNationalConventiondespitenotspea ingawordofFrench.InParisPainefoundhislifeindangerjustli eEnglandbecausehearguedagainsttheexecutionoftheLouisXVI.Paine sfearpromptedhimtoinitiatedhismostdaunting,boldwor andultimatelytheboo thatledhimtohisdownfallTheAgeofReason.TheAgeofReasonwasThomasPaine spolemicagainstorganizedreligionandmorespecificallyaharsh,ridiculingcritiqueofChristianity.WellitturnsoutPaine sfearwasright,hewasimprisonedentheLuxembourgPrison.Luc wasonPaine sside,Robespierre sdeathallow

edhimtoescapethebladeofthenationalrazor.Tomwasbac ontheConventionalthoughhedidn thaveanyrealinfluenceontheupcomingevents.AfterlivinginFranceforabout10yearsPaineheadbac towardshisbelovedadoptedcountryAmericaunderThomasJefferson spersonalinvitation.ThomasPainewas65yearsoldwhenhearrivedbac inAmerica;itiseasytothin hewaslongingforaquietretirementfortherestofhislife.Sadlythisisn tthecase,Paine sAgeofReasonhadmadehimintoanincrediblyunpopularman.Whereeverhewenthewasshunned,ridiculed,regardedwithextremedisgustbynearlyeveryone.ThomasPainefoundoutnoneofhisformerfriendswantednothingwithhim.ThispushedTomfartherintoisolationanddepression;Paine shealthbegantodecline;OnJune81809TheFatheroftheAmericanRevolutiondiedallalone.Only6peoplebothertocometoPoorTomPaine sfuneral,theyoungmanfromThetfordhadcomealongway.Hefundamentallychangedtheworldthrough

hiswritings,heboughtpoliticstothecommonmen,healsoboughtreligioussepticismtothecommonman,heopposedslaverybeforeitwaspopular,hewasafreethin erbeforeitwaspopular,hefoughtforwomen srightsbeforeitwaspopular,hethoughtaworldpeaceorganizationbeforeanyoneelse,hearguedforaguaranteedminimumincomewhennoelsedid,hewantedanimalrights,healsowantedpubliceducation,heinventedthesmo elesscandleandalsohelpedwiththesteamengine,heopposedthedeathpenaltybecausehecaredforalllife.ThomasPaine slifeisanexampleofaselflessman,theonewholivedforman ind.ThomasPainewasahero.