A History of Paine Birthday Events
When our Association was formed, it was on January 29, 1884, on Paine’s birthdate. The people involved had gathered every year on Paine’s birthdate, to meet at the Liberal Club in New York City.
Beacon
Explore articles from The Beacon, the Thomas Paine Historical Association’s bi-monthly journal. Each issue features multiple original articles written by a diverse group of leading Thomas Paine scholars, historians, and experts. Together, these contributions examine Paine’s life, writings, and enduring influence while connecting his ideas on liberty, democracy, and human rights to the political and social issues of today.
THE WHIG SOCIETY IN AMERICA
Little has been written about the political party formed after Paine’s return from the battlefield in January 1777, the Whig Society. The Society was perhaps the first revolutionary party in modern history.
Speech at the Juneteenth Event at the Thomas Paine Memorial Building June 19, 2021
Paine is the benchmark, the inspiration, the guide, the inspirer of the secular democratic trend in world history. His legacy is all around us: in Black Lives Matter, in separation of church and state, in the sanctity of government for, of and by the people, in civil and human rights.
Speech at the Juneteenth Event at the Thomas Paine Memorial Building June 19, 2021 Read Post »
The Paine Statuette: The First Sculpture of Thomas Paine
One of the dozens of copies of the statuette was part of the TPNHA Collection, but it went missing in the 1980s. All attempts to retrieve it were unsuccessful.
The Paine Statuette: The First Sculpture of Thomas Paine Read Post »
Thomas Paine Lived in Mystic, Connecticut?
An article in the journal The Log of the Mystic Seaport in December, 1948 recounts an oral history of the Haley family there. It seems that Captain Nathan Haley, according to the oral history, was a friend of Thomas Paine.
Common Sense as Timely Today as in 1776
Unlike the political theorists employed by our own self-important news media, Paine doesn’t think it the duty of the political writer to keep things running quietly and smoothly. His aim is to arm ordinary individuals with the weapon with which to defend themselves against organized deception and arbitrary power.
Thomas Paine’s Role in the French Revolution
The storms of revolution bursting forth afresh, Paine again repaired to France. A joyous reception awaited his arrival at Calais. As his vessel entered the harbor a hundred cannon thundered “Welcome!” As he stepped upon the shore a thousand voices shouted “Vive Thomas Paine!”