Jackson Creek Middle School
Thomas Paine's Writings
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Common Sense was a special and original work that differed from earlier pamphlets. Earlier pamphlets were written a formal, scholarly style. These dry, academic works lacked emotion. More importantly the works were neither written for nor read by common men and women. Thomas Paine changed all of this. Paine wrote for the ordinary, common person. His works were meant to influence the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of the reader. Paine's works were full of emotion. This made Common Sense very effective propaganda for the Patriot cause. Common Sense made Paine a Patriot hero but some modern historians say that Paine's ideas were already widespread throughout the colonies. In the rural areas of the colonies, there were few newspapers. Common Sense provided a basis for discussion of the idea of independence. |
| Image Courtesy of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. |
In addition to Common Sense and The American Crisis, Thomas Paine wrote many essays and other works. After The American Crisis he wrote 12 other essays which together are known as the Crises Papers. In addition to these 13 essays he wrote five other essays related to the series. The papers were Paine's commentary on the Revolutionary War and the early years of the new nation.
In 1792, Paine wrote Rights of Man. This work was in support of the French Revolution. Three years later in 1795, he wrote Age of Reason, which was critical of religion. This work and other writings about religion hurt his reputation and caused him much trouble.
Read The American Crisis, Rights of Man, and Age of Reason
This webpage was created by Tessa P.
Last updated on 1/20/2004