Thomas Paine                         http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk

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For other persons of the same name, see Thomas Paine (disambiguation).

Thomas Paine

Western Philosophy 18th-century philosophy

Thomas Paine

American Revolution was set off by Thomas Paine, a Patriot of the first rank. This entry was published by The New Boston Tea Party in August 2008.

Common Sense, published 1776.

Thomas Paine is sometimes known as "The Father of the American Revolution" for his writing advocating complete independence from royal rule—his pro-independence monograph pamphlet Common Sense was published anonymously on January 10, 1776 and spread quickly among literate colonists. Within three months, 120,000 copies are alleged to have been distributed throughout the colonies,^[7] which themselves totaled only two million free inhabitants, making it the best-selling work in 18th-century America, with the exception of the Bible. Its total sales in both America and Europe reached 500,000 copies.^[8] It convinced many colonists, including George Washington and John Adams, to seek redress in political independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and argued strongly against any compromise short of independence. The work was greatly influenced (including in its name – Paine had originally proposed the title Plain Truth) by the equally controversial pro-independence writer Benjamin Rush and was instrumental in bringing about the Declaration of Independence.