Thomas Paine

Declared by Washington as the man who kept the revolution alive in its darkest hours Thomas Paine is probably the most tragic figure of the revolution - revered for his words and his thoughts with regard to the revolution and reviled when he turned his great mind to religion some years later. Paine's Pamphlets, The Crisis and Common Sense, did more to strengthen the cause of the Revolution than any other publications or speeches of their time. From USHistory.org "These are the times that try men's souls." This simple quotation from Founding Father Thomas Paine's The Crisis not only describes the beginnings of the American Revolution, but also the life of Paine himself. Throughout most of his life, his writings inspired passion, but also brought him great criticism. He communicated the ideas of the Revolution to common farmers as easily as to intellectuals, creating prose that stirred the hearts of the fledgling United States. He had a grand vision for society: he was staunchly anti-slavery, and he was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization and social security for the poor and elderly. But his radical views on religion would destroy his success, and by the end of his life, only a handful of people attended his funeral. More COMMON SENSE (1776) Paine's call to arms for America. Common Sense THE CRISIS (1776-77) "These are the times that try men's souls." THE RIGHTS OF MAN (1791-92) Paine's reply to an attack on the French Revolution by Edmund Burke. AGE OF REASON (1794, 1796) Paine's biting criticism of the Bible and religion. This document created the wedge between Paine and his admirers during the Revolutionary era and caused Paine's later years to be lived in obscurity. Ironically, many of the Founders would have agreed with its sentiments but understood that speaking them would destroy their reputations among common folk.