active 1813 Common sense (Writer)

Born in Thetford, England, in 1737, Thomas Paine went on to become one of the most influential political writers of the age of revolution. After arriving in America in 1774, he wrote Common Sense in 1776, a short pamphlet that argued openly for independence from Britain and reached a huge readership.

Paine later took part in the political struggles of both America and France. He also wrote The American Crisis, famous for rallying readers in dark moments of the Revolutionary War, and later published Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, works that made him admired by many and fiercely attacked by others.

What makes Paine enduring is his direct style. He wrote for ordinary people rather than elites, and he had a gift for making large political ideas feel immediate, practical, and personal.