By Gary Berton
Thomas Paine in life never used “Tom” as his name, neither did friends and acquaintances. His signature was “T Paine.”
Public use of “Tom” started in the slanderous 1790s disinformation campaign of the British government. American political enemies picked it up, chiefly the Federalists and the churches. “Tom” was meant to demean the man and throw mud at his politics of democracy and rational thought.
There is no common usage of “Tom Jefferson.” The name was rarely used for him, and only in the same context. The Federalist oligarchy attacked Jefferson for befriending Paine, who wrote in strong support of Jefferson (despite his slaves). To oppose the democratic politics of Jefferson and Paine, the Federalist press used the epithet of “the two Toms” to deride them together.
The Thomas Paine National Historical Association views calling him “Tom” as an insult. True, people call him “Tom” in friendly circumstances, like as a term of endearment in song. “Tom Paine’s Bones” by Graham Moore in 1995 (popularized by Dick Gaughan in 2001) pays proper respect to the positive impact of the revolutionary, so such usage earns an exemption. But sloppy historians have no license to use “Tom.” His name is Thomas.
