Paine, Thomas
Paine, Thomas( 1737–1809),born in England, was the son of a corset maker, to whose trade he was apprenticed when his schooling ended at the age of 13. His unsettled life to 1774 included residence in various towns, two brief unhappy marriages, and such occupations as schoolteacher, tobacconist, grocer, and exciseman. He was twice dismissed from the last post, and was forced into bankruptcy after the publication of The Case of the Officers of Excise (1772), a plea to Parliament for higher wages. While lobbying for the excisemen, he met Franklin, who was impressed by his learning and interests and helped him to start anew in America.
Arriving at Philadelphia (1774), Paine contributed extensively to the Pennsylvania Magazine and achieved wide fame with the publication of Common Sense (1776), which urged an immediate declaration of independence at a time when others were debating only matters of reform. Under the pseudonym...
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