THOMAS PAINE (1774)

Political journalist who was one of the greatest political pamphleteers in history.

Early hardships as a sailor, teacher and exciseman partially explain Paine´s lifelong sympathy for the poor and unfortunate and his emigration to America on Benjamin Franklin´s recommendation.

His first employment there was editing the Pennsylvania Magazine. 
He also began publishing numerous articles of his own.
The pamphlet for which he is most widely known Common Sense (1776) provided the most persuasive argument for independence from England for many.
His greatest contribution during the Revolutionary War was the publication of 16 Crisis papers (1776-83).

During his stay in Europe between 1787 and 1802 Paine published Rights of Man (1791) which originated as a response to Edmund Burke´s attack on the French Revolution and grew into a proposal for the elimination of poverty, illiteracy, unenployment and war.
As a result of the fears of revolution generated by his work he was indicted for treason in England but managed to escape to France where he was elected to the revolutionary National Convention.

The first part of Age of Reason (1794) was published during Paine´s year in prison while Robespierre was in power.
In 1802 Paine returned to the United States.

He found that his contribution had been largely forgotten.