Thomas Paine

Term Paper # 97600

History > Leaders
History > U.S. Birth of the Nation 1750-1800

Thomas Paine

An overview of Thomas Paine's greatest works and their influence on American society.

2,076 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2007 France

Paper Summary:

This paper details the life and times of political philosopher and writer, Thomas Paine. It examines how, born poor in England, he arrived in America just before the Revolution and devoted his life to three great causes: the American Revolution, religious reform, and the natural rights of man. It looks at how his powerful writings played a significant part in the process of Independence and how some of them also provoked great controversies. It considers whether Paine was a revolutionary pamphleteer and focuses on his very particular pamphlet, "Common Sense" and on the influence he had on the American Revolution.

Outline:
His Main Works and their Context
A Focus on "Common Sense": Paine's Influence on American Independence

From the Paper:

"After the United States' victory over England, Paine didn't take part in the establishment of the new republic. He returned to Europe instead and soon played a part in the political debate over the French Revolution and wrote The Rights of Man (1791, 1792) that supported the revolution. In this work, Paine defended the natural equality of all men in the sight of God and their political rights, denounced hereditary monarchy and called for republican principles. Moreover Paine also analysed the basic reasons for great discontentment in Europe and tried to find a solution to poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and war. He proposed the levying of a progressive income tax to finance a social plan to educate the population, to help the poor, to financially support aged people and to create public works for unemployed people."

Sample of Sources Used:

The Reader's Companion to American History, Eric Foner and John A. Garraty (editors), publisher : Houghton Mifflin Company (October 21, 1991)
The life of Thomas Paine, author of Common sense, Rights of man, Age of reason, etc., etc. with critical and explanatory observations on his writings, by Michigan Historical Reprint Series, publisher : Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Library (December 20, 2005)
Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations by Craig Nelson, publisher : Penguin Group (USA)
Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters, editor Eric Foner, publisher : Library of America (March 1, 1995)