Paine's remarkable gift for bold and graphic expression made him a natural and powerful communicator. He was also an eighteenth century prophet. "The cause of America," he wrote in February, 1776, "is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."

Other than the Declaration of Independence, which he directly inspired, few ideas of the eighteenth century can be applied so readily and accurately to human rights issues as we enter the twenty-first century, from intellectual property to women's rights: "Natural rights are those which appertain to man in right of his existence. Of this kind are all the intellectual or rights of the mind, and also all those rights of acting as an individual for his own comfort and happiness, which are not injurious to the natural rights of others."

Many Americans have only a vague recollection of Thomas Paine and few recognize him as one of the great figures in American political thought; a contemporary of Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, the Adamses, Monroe and others. In remembering him we hope to call attention to his ideas and in some way kindle renewed admiration, recognition and thanks of the peoples and nations whose aspirations he expressed and communicated with such force and clarity.

Born in England in 1737 of Quaker parents, little is known of his childhood. He was apprenticed to his father's trade as a staymaker at thirteen, which he disliked and went to sea for a brief time. He was twice married and worked as an English teacher and exciseman.

Benjamin Franklin meeting Paine in London provided him a letter of introduction which led to his employment as editor of the new Pennsylvania Magazine in January, 1775 upon his arrival in America.

His Common Sense printed in 1776 was America's first best seller, (110,000 copies in 90 days) and the royalties were used to buy mittens for the American troops going to Quebec. He turned his back on a fortune by refusing to accept profits from any of the pamphlets that he wrote.

He was the first person to ever write the words, "United States of America."

Upon George Washington's order, Continental officers read Paine's pamphlet to their men two days before the troops routed the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton. This victory is considered the turning point in the Revolutionary war.

He was an inventor, the first one to make a working model of the self-supporting iron bridge.

His 1794 Age of Reason jarred the establishment. Government, political and religious leaders fearful he was hatching rebellion in the underprivileged, struck out against him in vile, disgraceful and abusive ways. He died without attention in New York City in 1809.

He was the most potent advocate during the whole of the eighteenth century for human freedom, equality of men, free education, universal suffrage and rights of women.

• "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of
   being right…"

• "Time makes more converts than reason."

• "Society in every state is a blessing but government even in its best state is but a
   necessary evil."

• "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. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily
   conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more
   glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: Tis dearness
   only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its
   goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as freedom should not
   be highly rated."

• "The illuminating and divine principle of the equal rights of man (for it has its origin from
   the Maker of man) relates, not only to the living individuals, but to generations of men
   succeeding each other."

• "The fact therefore must be that the individuals themselves, each in his own personal
   and sovereign right, entered into a compact with each other to produce a Government:
   and this is the only mode in which Governments have a right to arise, and the only
   principle on which they have a right to exist."

• "…that I would gladly agree with all the world to lay aside the use of arms, and settle
   matters by negotiation; but unless the whole will, the matter ends, and I take up my
   musket and thank heaven He has put it in my power."