Tom Paine, The Age Of Reason, Investigation Of True Theology

Name: Instructor: Institution: History Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason Born in 1737 in Thetford England, Thomas Paine was one of the most influential and significant figures of his time. He was a very important figure, a creative cog in the establishment of freedom and independence for the societies he lived in. He was self-educated and plied his trade mostly in corset making. While he was mainly credited with being an influential figure during the American Revolution, Paine also played quite a significant role in the French Revolution too. As opposed to other influential figures of the time who were mostly wealthy, educated and elite in the society, he was more or less a simple, ordinary man. In his ordinary status, Thomas Paine mastered the art of turning his disadvantages into advantages. He used his experiences from the interactions with people such as Benjamin Franklin, to improve himself. After some time, he endeared himself to the American populace, who unanimously acknowledged him as their spokesman. His rise however, can be traced to humble beginnings as an excise officer. While at this job, he could take up the grievances of his fellow colleagues, especially to do with wages, and argue or debate on their behalf. This would end up sadly, as he not only lost the lobbying, but also his job and marriage too. Perhaps one of the most significant events in his life was his decision to follow through the advice he was given by Franklin and move to North America. At this time, he was almost bankrupt and greatly under pressure due to the prevailing conditions in his life. Among the first works he did was the Common Sense, which was largely revolutionary in tone. It clearly worked to re...