Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was a British-born Enlightenment thinker who powerfully backed the American independence movement from an ideological standpoint. In his masterpiece Common Sense, he criticized the monarchy and argued for the necessity of independence in plain language, exerting a profound influence on shaping colonial public opinion. He also boosted morale in The American Crisis, supporting the continuation of the American Revolutionary War. He is highly regarded as an Enlightenment thinker who spread concepts of equality and freedom.

Other languages