In history, there are always people “heroes” who everyone knows.  There are also those who played crucial roles but did not make “hero” status.  Then there are the obscure characters that were very important but not well known.  Thomas Paine is somewhere in between the last two types.  He was a political philosopher and his writings were, well, revolutionary.

Thomas Paine was born in England in 1737.  His father was a Quaker. It is likely his father’s beliefs inspired his humanitarianism ideology.  His love of science led to a hatred of government because it was based on hereditary privilege, not reason.  He worked many jobs before becoming a tax collector.  However, he lost this job after he published an argument stating a raise in pay would be the only way to end corruption in the excise office.  On Benjamin Franklin’s advice, he immigrated to Philadelphia in 1774.

On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord broke out due to tensions between the British and Americans, starting what would become the Revolutionary War.  These tensions were a result of the Americans’ feeling like second-class citizens and being unfairly taxed.  Although many Americans at the time saw it as a revolt to lower taxes, Paine envisioned it differently.  These views were published on January 10, 1776 in a pamphlet called “Common Sense.”  In “Common Sense,” Paine explained in simple terms to the common man why America should split from Britain and declare independence.  His pamphlet was a wild success, selling over 500,000 copies (for reference, the population of America at the time was estimated to be 2.5 million).  Ultimately, it was Paine’s pamphlet that allowed America to get behind the Declaration of Independence.

Although the Revolution started with a boom, it started to go south for the Patriots.  Washington’s army was on the run from British forces in New York and camped at Valley Forge.  The soldiers were low on hope and the army was about to disagree.  However, on December 19, 1776 Paine published “The American Crisis.”  It became arguably the most powerful weapon the Americans had.  To get an idea of how well written it is, here is the beginning of the piece: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”  “The American Crisis” relit the American spark.  Just six days later, the Americans surprised the British on Christmas, winning a great victory in the Battle of Trenton.

Besides Paine’s role as the literary soldier of the Revolution, Paine also had very advanced social ideas.  In “African Slavery in America,” Paine anonymously denounced the slave trade in America.  He was one of the earliest advocates of the abolition of slavery in America.  In addition, Paine has been called the first feminist in America.  In his “An Occassional Letter on the Female Sex,” he pointed out how unequally treated women were.

Thomas Paine was an American hero who should be held to the ranks of our Founding Fathers.  He was instrumental in the creation of the nation and his progressive social ideas set the stage for the equality our society slowly but surely approaches.