Name:

Thomas Paine *

1 Colonists had grown angry with Britain in the late 1700s. British policies and taxes were seen as abuse by the crown. The many taxes only stirred talk of revolt more. The public did not want to pay taxes when they had no one to represent their views in England. Each new law caused major turmoil against the English. Rebel leaders used each new crisis to attack Britain. It was during these years that Thomas Paine made a name for himself.

2 Thomas Paine was born in England during these disturbing days. The day was Jan. 29, 1737,and he grew up in a poor family. This lack of money meant that he was not well educated. As a boy, he worked with his father to learn the art of making women’s clothing. He quickly saw that this was not the career for him. Then, he tried his hand at sea at the age of 19, trying to find a better life. Yet, he soon returned to London and worked as a customs collector. He then married, but not long after, he was fired from his job. When life seemed as if it could not get any worse, tragedy struck with the death of his wife. In 1774, he had little money or a job, and he was alone. Though, he had many powerful friends, like Benjamin Franklin. He told Paine that he should move to the colonies. Paine made the move with a letter of recommendation from Franklin. He had a new outlook on life and a chance to start over.

3 When Paine arrived, he found a good job at a popular magazine. In 1776, he published Common Sense. This called for the colonies to seek independence from Britain. It also attacked the idea of a monarchy, or a king or queen. Paine wanted a new type government. This written work was the most widely read pamphlet during the time. Paine wrote that freedom would be a new start for America. His words influenced many of the nation’s leaders. At the end of that year, Paine wrote The American Crisis which became very popular. It argued that America needed independence. The first of these pamphlets began, “These are the times that try men's souls.” Gen. Washington at once had it read to his army. Paine's exciting words gave energy to the Continental Army.

4 Paine served in the army that year. He also helped Pennsylvania write its constitution. A year later, he was made secretary for the Committee of Foreign Affairs. Yet, Paine was careless and released government secrets at this job. This created enemies for Paine, and he was forced to resign. After the war in 1787, he felt lost and moved back to England. While there, in 1791 he wrote Rights of Man. This was a reply to a harsh book about the French Revolution. A court tried Paine for treason in 1792 and forced him to leave. He then moved to France since it had made him a citizen earlier that year. Soon after, he joined a party in the National Convention. Although, it lost power and Paine was banished from the Convention. His French citizenship was canceled, and he was sent to prison.

5 Paine languished in prison for nearly a year. During that time, wrote The Age of Reason. He stated his idea of deism, or the view that God had no interest in the world. Some of the public called it atheism, or a belief in no god. His religious views made him one of most loved and hated men of that time. Paine also had a love for science which inspired him to question the world. His sharp scientific mind helped him become an inventor years earlier. He received a patent for the single-span iron bridge. He had studied the yellow fever and made a smokeless candle. It was at that time that he had the thought that reason could explain human behavior. Then, a U.S. diplomat got him released him from prison. In 1796, he wrote the pamphlet Letter to George Washington. This slammed the president and his policies.

6 In 1802, Pres. Jefferson got him to go back to the U.S. Paine then saw that people disliked him for his religious views. Few gave him credit for his huge part in the Revolution. At the end of his life, he was broke and he grew into a social outcast. He died on June 8, 1809 and was buried on his farm in New York State. Ten years later, his remains were moved to England. To this day, the grave location is unknown.

7 John Adams felt that Paine had more of an impact on the U.S. than any other person in that era. Paine was admired by many and hated by many more. Yet, he was a rebel leader whose smart words brought about a new type of nation. His words challenged people to see government, religion, and science in a new way.

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Thomas Paine

Directions: Read each question and circle the best answer.

A. it called for stronger ties to Britain

B. independence and no monarchies *

C. it called for revolution D. no monarchies

2. What explained Paine’s religious ideas?

A. The Age of Reason * B. Common Sense C. Rights of Man D. The American Crisis

B. a new form of government

C. a new form of writing D. a single-span iron bridge and a smokeless candle *

3. What did Paine invent?

A. he felt Paine influenced America more than any other *

B. he felt there were others who influenced America more than Paine

C. he felt Paine was not all that important

D. he felt Paine did little for America

5. True or False. Thomas Paine wrote articles that inspired rebel leaders?

A. True * B. False

6. Why do you think Paine made so many enemies?

A. he made mistakes and wrote about controversial topics *

B. he wrote articles about America’s need to stay close to Britain

C. he wrote articles that defended Britain

D. he wrote essays that called for American independence

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4. What was John Adams’s opinion of Thomas Paine?

A. a cure for yellow fever

1. What were the ideas Common Sense stated?

Thomas Paine

9. Which would be the best resource for more information about the article?

A. an almanac B. a thesaurus C. the book Common Sense *

D. a dictionary

10. What would be a synonym for the word banished in paragraph 4?

A. exiled * B. accepted C. forgotten D. confused

11. This article would best be classified as—

A. an autobiography B. nonfiction C. a biography * D. realistic fiction

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7. The phrase “. . . during these disturbing days. . .” from paragraph 2 is an example of—

A. personification B. metaphor C. alliteration * D. rhyme

8. Which of the following events happened first?

A. Paine wrote Letter to George Washington

B. James Monroe freed Paine from prison

C. Jefferson brought Paine back to the U.S.

D. Paine became a member of the National Convention *