CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was the most prolific writer of pro-independence tracts during the Revolutionary War. He wrote for average Americans, so his works—notably Common Sense and The American Crisis—reached thousands of readers and convinced many that independence was both desirable and inevitable. For many, he became the voice of the American Revolution.
Born in England, Paine did not arrive in America until 1774. After being pulled from school at the age of twelve to apprentice as a corset maker, he worked in a variety of careers and was active in debating and politics. Because of this, he gained the notice of Benjamin Franklin, who was then living in London and wrote Paine a letter of introduction when he immigrated to America. The letter helped secure Paine a job at the Pennsylvania Magazine as an editor and contributor. Paine became an ardent supporter of the Continental Congress and George Washington.
Early in 1776, Paine published Common Sense anonymously. It was an instant sensation. In just a few short months, Americans purchased approximately 120,000 copies. By the end of the Revolutionary War, about half a million copies had been sold and distributed throughout the colonies, which had a population of about 3 million people. Paine followed up Common Sense with The American Crisis, a series of pamphlets to encourage American soldiers. The first essay begins with the famous line, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” George Washington ordered his officers to read this pamphlet to their soldiers before crossing the Delaware River to attack the British in Trenton, New Jersey, in December 1776.
Paine’s prose appealed to everyday Americans; his writing style was simple and straightforward, and in Common Sense he used examples from English history, the Bible, and antiquity to explain the failings of the British government. He wrote about the problems caused by the British in the colonies, and strongly criticized monarchical government. He called for a republican form of government and described a government that ultimately looked very similar to the one established by the Constitutional Convention delegates.
Paine donated all the proceeds from his wildly popular pamphlets to the Continental Congress to help support the war effort. Congress awarded him $3,000 after the war, and the New York state legislature provided him with a farm in New Rochelle. Paine became foreign secretary and briefly lived in France where he ardently supported the French Revolution before returning home to New York. Although he died in relative obscurity, his works supporting the American Revolution continue to be read and cited.
Citation: Excerpt from Common Sense in The Writings of Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Congress of the United States of America (1792), Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Read Common Sense in its entirety online at the Library of Congress.
Born in England, Paine did not arrive in America until 1774. After being pulled from school at the age of twelve to apprentice as a corset maker, he worked in a variety of careers and was active in debating and politics. Because of this, he gained the notice of Benjamin Franklin, who was then living in London and wrote Paine a letter of introduction when he immigrated to America. The letter helped secure Paine a job at the Pennsylvania Magazine as an editor and contributor. Paine became an ardent supporter of the Continental Congress and George Washington.
Early in 1776, Paine published Common Sense anonymously. It was an instant sensation. In just a few short months, Americans purchased approximately 120,000 copies. By the end of the Revolutionary War, about half a million copies had been sold and distributed throughout the colonies, which had a population of about 3 million people. Paine followed up Common Sense with The American Crisis, a series of pamphlets to encourage American soldiers. The first essay begins with the famous line, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” George Washington ordered his officers to read this pamphlet to their soldiers before crossing the Delaware River to attack the British in Trenton, New Jersey, in December 1776.
Paine’s prose appealed to everyday Americans; his writing style was simple and straightforward, and in Common Sense he used examples from English history, the Bible, and antiquity to explain the failings of the British government. He wrote about the problems caused by the British in the colonies, and strongly criticized monarchical government. He called for a republican form of government and described a government that ultimately looked very similar to the one established by the Constitutional Convention delegates.
Paine donated all the proceeds from his wildly popular pamphlets to the Continental Congress to help support the war effort. Congress awarded him $3,000 after the war, and the New York state legislature provided him with a farm in New Rochelle. Paine became foreign secretary and briefly lived in France where he ardently supported the French Revolution before returning home to New York. Although he died in relative obscurity, his works supporting the American Revolution continue to be read and cited.
Citation: Excerpt from Common Sense in The Writings of Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Congress of the United States of America (1792), Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Read Common Sense in its entirety online at the Library of Congress.
Standards
VS.5, VUS.4, US1.6
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Scan It: Look for words that stand out to you. Why do you think he is using these words? What does he want to make the reader feel?
Post-Activities
Analyze: Read through the excerpt of Common Sense. What argument does Paine make here for why reconciliation with Britain was impossible? Does it make sense to you? How do you think a reader at the time would react to it?
Be the Journalist: Imagine you are a reporter for a the Virginia Gazette in 1776. Write a paragraph describing Common Sense and why it might be so popular throughout the colonies.
Cell Phone from the Past: Imagine that you found Thomas Paine’s cell phone. What might you see on his home screen? Include 4 contacts (with name, location, birthday, and connection to subject), 3 apps (with an explanation of why this person would have these), 3 calendar entries (with a description of what, where, and with whom), and text conversations with 2 of the subject’s contacts (with at least 6 entries in each string).
Scan It: Look for words that stand out to you. Why do you think he is using these words? What does he want to make the reader feel?
Post-Activities
Analyze: Read through the excerpt of Common Sense. What argument does Paine make here for why reconciliation with Britain was impossible? Does it make sense to you? How do you think a reader at the time would react to it?
Be the Journalist: Imagine you are a reporter for a the Virginia Gazette in 1776. Write a paragraph describing Common Sense and why it might be so popular throughout the colonies.
Cell Phone from the Past: Imagine that you found Thomas Paine’s cell phone. What might you see on his home screen? Include 4 contacts (with name, location, birthday, and connection to subject), 3 apps (with an explanation of why this person would have these), 3 calendar entries (with a description of what, where, and with whom), and text conversations with 2 of the subject’s contacts (with at least 6 entries in each string).