Thomas Paine

Born in Thetford, England, in 1737, Thomas Paine became one of the most influential political writers of the 18th century. After moving to America, he wrote Common Sense (1776), a widely read pamphlet that argued passionately for independence from Britain, followed by The American Crisis, written to encourage the revolutionary cause during the war.

Paine later took part in the French Revolution and published Rights of Man, a defense of representative government and natural rights. His ideas continued in The Age of Reason, which expressed his belief in deism and criticized organized religion. Paine died in New York in 1809, leaving behind a legacy as an author, political thinker, inventor, and champion of ordinary people.