| Paine, Thomas 1737-1809. British-born American writer and Revolutionary leader who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense (1776) arguing for American independence from Britain. In England he published The Rights of Man (1791-1792), a defense of the French Revolution. |
A patriot and author in the Revolutionary War, whose pamphlets, such as Common Sense and the American Crisis series, urged American independence. He took part in the French Revolution and wrote The Rights of Man to defend it against the criticisms of Edmund Burke. Paine also wrote The Age of Reason, upholding deism.