Thomas Paine, a native of Thetford, England, arrived in America's colonies with little in the way of money, reputation, or prospects, though he did have a letter of recommendation in his pocket from Benjamin Franklin. Paine also had a passion for liberty in all its forms, and an abiding hatred of tyranny. His forceful, direct expression of those principles found voice in a pamphlet he wrote entitled Common Sense, which proved to be the most influential political work of the time. Ultimately, Paine's treatise provided inspiration to the
Second Continental Congress for the drafting of the
Declaration of Independence.
46 Pages is a dramatic look at a pivotal moment in our country's formation, a scholar's meticulous recreation of the turbulent years leading up to the
Revolutionary War, retold with excitement and new insight.
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Background Information
Thomas Paine wrote influential pamphlets during the American Revolution, which have inspired revolutionaries ever since. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia beginning in 1776 and produced the Declaration of Independence as well as the Articles of Confederation. The Declaration of Independence was promulgated by the Second Continental Congress and declared independence for the 13 colonies from Britain. The Revolutionary War is generally dated from the Battle of Concord and Lexington, ending with the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
