Thomas Paine(115)

by

Joyce Hemsley

THOMAS PAINE
Author and Intellectual
Born 1737 Thetford, England
Died 1809 New York City...
A forthright man who objected to
Capital Punishment in any form.
Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison
respected Paine's work and his
ideas and theories.
Napolean 1800, said of him:
A statue of gold in Paine's honour
should be erected in every city in
the universe.

Thomas Paine left school very early
in life to work with his father.
At age 19, he became a seaman, but
only for a short while, continuing
his life in England. He opened a shop
in Kent, and married his first wife.
Sadly she died with the baby at birth;
many moons later Thomas married again:
her name, Elizabeth Ollive - but the
marriage ended. In 1772 he wrote and
published a political work "The Case
of the Officers of Excise". On the
advice of Benjamin Franklin, he
travelled to Philadelphia - he was
taken very ill on the ship, with fever,
was nursed for several weeks before
he could continue.

The year 1776 saw the publication of
Thomas's widely distributed Pamphlet -
"Common Sense". This was a winner on
Independence, supporting the Revolution.
Hence The Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Paine put forward the name...
"The United States of America".
He continued his clever writings - not
everyone agreed! Other popular
publications were "Rights of Man",
"Age of Reason" and "Agrarian Justice".
Thomas Paine dismissed monarchy,
opposed slavery, agreed public education
and a guaranteed minimum income.
Everything radical.

In Thetford, where Paine was born, there
is a most delightful statue - I hope
to visit one day! Also in New York there
stands a monument to the great Thomas
Paine. And, if it is still standing,
The Thomas Paine Cottage 938 North Avenue
New Rochelle, New York.

So much more information I could have
given; you may find a trip to Google
well worthwhile. I rest my case.

NEXT?
Why don't you look at the sentient verse
by: Crystal Dawn Allen
from: Halifax, NS, CA

To visit all of Joyce Hemsley's poems, click HERE

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