CELEBRATE TOM PAINE'S BIRTHDAY ON JANUARY 29th

The celebration of Thomas Paine's birthday, though largely forgotten today, is a tradition historically and vitally important to movements for reform and freethought in the U.S.A., Britain and around the world. The Thomas Paine Institute has begun a movement to resurrect the memory of the "Founding Father" history forgot.

ONE MAN, an obscure journalist, speaks out in favor of freedom and
independence from an abusive government, and begins a movement that
ignites the American Revolution. 

Thomas Paine was born on January 29, 1737 in Thetford, England. Before
moving to the American Colonies in 1774, Paine worked at a variety of
jobs including, Corset Maker, Sailor and Customs Collector.

He came to Philadelphia in 1774, where he worked as a Printer and
Journalist.  In 1776, he published, at his own expense, 18,000 copies
of his 50-page pamphlet Common Sense, which argued -- in clear language
-- for a declaration of independence from Great Britain.  It was widely
distributed throughout the colonies, reprinted often; it eventually
sold nearly half a million copies. Paine donated the proceeds to the
Continental Congress.

It is probable that every literate colonist read Common Sense or knew
about its contents. Fellow rebel, John Adams, said that he expected
Common Sense to become the "common faith."  Paine's words convinced
many colonists to support an American Revolution.

While serving as a foot soldier at Valley Forge, he wrote a pamphlet
series, The American Crisis, which began with the memorable line,
"These are the times that try men's souls." His writings, literally,
held together the Continental Army and sustained the spirit of the
Revolution.

According to British historian N.A.M. Rodger, Paine was a "political
radical, a subversive, not a natural friend of respectable,
slave-owning gentlemen." He was not the type of person who would be
invited to tea at Mount Vernon.

Historian Margaret Washington, described Paine as a "common man," not
of the same socio-economic class as the other founding fathers, many of
whom considered the common people "rabble." Thomas Paine, she said,
believed that the common people "were the revolution. He believed that
"ordinary people could understand and participate in government."

Paine's accomplishments underscore the fact that individual action
matters. His "do it yourself" effort made a significant contribution
towards the establishment of a government where authority was given to
the people. That made the American Revolution an event of "world
significance."

Following the American Revolution, he lived quietly in New York until
he returned to Britain in 1787. He wrote The Rights of Man (1791--92)
in response to Edmund Burke's criticism of the French Revolution. He
became an honorary French citizen, was elected to the Revolutionary
Convention (1792), and was imprisoned during the height of the Terror
in Paris. Later he published The Age of Reason (1794, 1796) and
returned to New York where he lived in obscurity until his death in
1809.

We invite you to take a look at this new website:

http://www.thomaspaineinstitute.org/birthday.html

This is a place where you can:

-  Publicize your own event
-  Learn about the history of the Paine Birthday Celebrations.
-  Locate birthday celebrations in your area.
-  Share historical materials with other people