By Peter Gawthrop
How did Thomas Paine come to have such a seminal influence in the American struggle for independence? When he arrived in the American colonies in November 1774, he was 38 years old, and up to that time had experienced a chequered but unexceptional career. There was no indication that within the next three years he would become a famous, and to many infamous, political writer who would play a significant part in the founding of the United States of America. Paine had previously worked as a staymaker, sailor, excise officer, shopkeeper and teacher, and had shown no signs of great literary talent. Whilst living in London he had met Benjamin Franklin, at that time an agent representing American interests in Britain, who gave him a letter of introduction to Richard Bathe, his son-in-law who lived in Philadelphia. Paine rented accommodation in the city and visited a nearby bookshop, getting to know the owner Robert Aitken, who was also a printer and publisher.
Editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine
Aitken offered Paine the job of editing a new publication, The Pennsylvania Magazine, early in 1775. Paine wrote many of the articles appearing in the magazine himself, often anonymously or using pseudonyms. He covered a wide range of topics, including scientific, literary, social and political matters, and soon developed an accessible and convincing writing style. This was a critical time in the relations between the American colonies and the London government. The Boston Tea Party had occurred in December 1773, the first Continental Congress of the American States met in September 1774 and in April 1775 British and American forces clashed near Boston at the battles of Lexington and Concord. During May the Americans captured Fort Ticonderoga and George Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the newly established Continental Army.
Paine became preoccupied with the idea of independence for the American colonies and during the autumn months he worked on a pamphlet developing his views and calling for action which he discussed in detail with Benjamin Rush, Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The final version, Common Sense, called for an immediate declaration of independence and was published in January 1776. It was an instant and outstanding best-seller with subsequent editions, many of them pirated, running into hundreds of thousands of copies appearing all over North America and Europe. Translations were made into French, German and Polish and in Britain reprints were published in London, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
At war with Washington’s army
Paine volunteered for service with the American Continental Army immediately after the formal Declaration of Independence in July 1776 He joined a local group of volunteers and acted as secretary to their leader Daniel Roberdeau, a Philadelphia merchant. The scratch force marched to Amboy on the New Jersey coast, where they watched the arrival of shiploads of British reinforcements across the straits on Staten Island. They were not called upon to take part in any action and, depleted by desertions, returned to Philadelphia in September. Paine did not go back with them but travelled north to Fort Lee on the west bank of the Hudson River across from present day Harlem. Here he became ADC to General Nathaniel Greene, the ambitious young commander of American forces at Fort Lee and Fort Washington, the latter being a strategic site on the eastern bank of the river. Another period of waiting and observation ensued with Paine messing and working closely with General Greene and his officers. He was also acting as a special correspondent for Philadelphia newspapers, giving them first hand morale boosting reports of local skirmishes and the activities of troops from Pennsylvania.
General Greene was confident that he could hold off the British forces, but he was wrong. They soon captured Fort Washington and crossed to the west bank of the Hudson River north of Fort Lee. The Americans, including Paine, were forced into a long retreat, often under enemy fire. They passed through Hackensack and then Newark, New Brunswick and on to the River Delaware at Trenton, which was later taken by the British. Paine went back to Philadelphia where he quickly prepared the first of a series of essays called The American Crisis. This was a rallying cry to re- invigorate the officers and men of the demoralised army and bolster the support of wavering Congress delegates and countrymen. Sections of it were read out to American troops, including those who took part in Washington’s dancing Christmas night crossing of the River Delaware and subsequent victories. The stirring words have re-echoed down the years and been quoted by modem right wing politicians: “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 their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
In January 1777 Payne completed a second part of The American Crisis and then became involved in Pennsylvania Assembly matters related to Native American and constitutional affairs. At this time he was in need of a steady source of income and, supported by John Adams, he was appointed Secretary to the newly formed Congress Committee for Foreign Affairs in April. Paine’s involvement with Washington’s army was renewed later in the year after the Continental Army was defeated at Brandywine in September. British troops marching up from Chesapeake Bay threatened Philadelphia. Paine hurriedly completed part IV of The American Crisis and arranged to have copies printed and distributed at his own expense before fleeing from the threatened city. In October he joined the American troops near Germanstown, a small village 5 miles north of Philadelphia. Here Washington attacked the British in dense fog, which caused confusion on both sides, and after a hard fought battle the Americans lost the day with heavy casualties. Paine breakfasted with Washington on the morning after the battle when they were able to review events and discuss the difficulties of managing armies. During the remainder of the year he went on to prepare reports for the Committee for Foreign Affairs and to carry out special duties and reconnaissance for General Greene and the Pennsylvania Assembly. He spent Christmas 1777 with his friends Joseph and Mary Kirkbride who lived on the west bank of the Delaware, across the river from Bordentown in New Jersey, where he later bought a house.
Conclusion
The first three years in America were critical to Thomas Paine’s development as a political thinker. They marked his change from being an unknown individual to a man who could influence world events and they were part of the preparation for his later great work The Rights of Man. When Paine arrived at Philadelphia in 1774 he was an unknown individual with no great literary skills. His only credential was a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin suggesting that he was suitable for employment as a clerk, assistant teacher or assistant surveyor. Three years later in 1777 he was widely known in North America and Europe as a persuasive political writer who was the main inspiration of the call for American independence; he was a confidant and adviser to George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and others; and he was the holder of an important government appointment. But also in this period there were indications of some of the difficulties which would recur later in Paine’s life.
The most significant of these was shortage of money. Paine never intended to profit from his writings, though publishers and printers in North America and Europe certainly did. In his enthusiasm he often commissioned printing at his own expense and he originally proposed that any profits from Common Sense should be split half and half between the publisher and a fund to supply clothing to the Army. This arrangement, and others, got bogged down in acrimonious disputes, and Paine was often pursued by printers with claims for costs whilst his works were also being widely pirated. This lack of financial acumen dogged Paine’s later life. He was naïve and disorderly when it came to many matters of day to day living, giving his detractors grounds to denigrate his abilities. All this was surpassed by his achievements between 1774 and 1777 when he played a major part in the foundation of the United States. of America.
Main sources: Tom Paine – A Political Life by John Keane published by Bloomsbury, London in 1995, is an invaluable source for anyone interested in Paine’s life and work. On the American Revolution The Glorious Cause – The American Revolution 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauf (Oxford University Press, 2005) and Rebels and Redcoats The American Revolutionary War by Hugh Bicheno (Harper Collins, London, 2004) are good recent publications.