ONE MAN, an obscure journalist, speaks out in favor of freedom and independence from an abusive government, and begins a movement that ignites the American Revolution.

Thomas Paine was born on January 29, 1737 in Thetford, England. Before moving to the American Colonies in 1774, Paine worked at a variety of jobs including, Corset Maker, Sailor and Customs Collector.

He came to Philadelphia in 1774, where he worked as a Printer and Journalist. In 1776, he published, at his own expense, 18,000 copies of his 50-page pamphlet Common Sense, which argued -- in clear language -- for a declaration of independence from Great Britain. It was widely distributed throughout the colonies, reprinted often; it eventually sold nearly half a million copies. Paine donated the proceeds to the Continental Congress.

It is probable that every literate colonist read Common Sense or knew about its contents. Fellow rebel, John Adams, said that he expected Common Sense to become the "common faith." Paine's words convinced many colonists to support an American Revolution.

While serving as a foot soldier at Valley Forge, he wrote a pamphlet series, The American Crisis, which began with the memorable line, "These are the times that try men's souls." His writings, literally, held together the Continental Army and sustained the spirit of the Revolution.

According to British historian N.A.M. Rodger, Paine was a "political radical, a subversive, not a natural friend of respectable, slave-owning gentlemen." He was not the type of person who would be invited to tea at Mount Vernon.

Historian Margaret Washington, described Paine as a "common man," not of the same socio-economic class as the other founding fathers, many of whom considered the common people "rabble." Thomas Paine, she said, believed that the common people "were the revolution. He believed that "ordinary people could understand and participate in government."

Paine's accomplishments underscore the fact that individual action matters. His "do it yourself" effort made a significant contribution towards the establishment of a government where authority was given to the people. That made the American Revolution an event of "world significance."

Following the American Revolution, he lived quietly in New York until he returned to Britain in 1787. He wrote The Rights of Man (1791--92) in response to Edmund Burke's criticism of the French Revolution. He became an honorary French citizen, was elected to the Revolutionary Convention (1792), and was imprisoned during the height of the Terror in Paris. Later he published The Age of Reason (1794, 1796) and returned to New York where he lived in obscurity until his death in 1809.

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www.thomaspaineinstitute.org/birthday.html

This is a place where you can:

- Publicize your own event
- Learn about the history of the Paine Birthday Celebrations.
- Locate birthday celebrations in your area.
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