In a March 1775 letter to Franklin, Paine said he had “suffered dreadfully” during the voyage, “had very little hopes” he “would live to see America,” and that six weeks in the care of Dr. John Kearsley, Jr. resulted in full recovery.
Dr. John Kearsley, Jr.: Paine Arrives in America Stricken by Typhus Read Post »
Elihu Palmer (1764-1806) was a little-known freethinker who, even after losing his vision, remained active in the intellectual debates of his time. Palmer emerged as one of the leading exponents of deism in the First American Republic. Drawing upon thinkers such as Locke, Hume, Rousseau, and Jefferson.
In Paine’s view, organized religions marketed unreliable hearsay piled on hearsay as “revelations” that are, by definition, based on faith rather than evidence. Carefully observing nature, he rejected nearly everything propounded by organized religions as antithetical to rational analysis, retaining from Biblical accounts only what was discernable through observation.
Even before Paine’s death, his life was being dissected by those around him on both sides of the Atlantic. The earliest “biographies” of Paine were highly critical, politically-motivated smear campaigns funded by political enemies in high places. Each writer set out to debunk Paine’s major works.
The Curious History of Thomas Paine’s Biographies Read Post »
By Barbara Crane My interest in Thomas Paine began when I moved to New Rochelle in 2016 after retirement from decades advancing women’s reproductive health, rights and justice around the world. My earlier academic work had focused on international politics and development, with special attention to the role and influence of transnational networks and policy
After personal encounters with the Iroquois, Paine sought to learn their language. For the rest of his political and writing career Paine cited them as a model for how a society might be organized. Iroquois influences are noticeable in many of Paine’s ideas.
Paine believed in Enlightenment ideals about science. Fascinated by new technologies, Paine tried his hand at designing bridges. He’d change the world by connecting it together. As he wrote, “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
Thomas Paine’s Iron Bridge Design Spans the Start of the Industrial Revolution Read Post »
Diego Rivera was a famous Mexican artist in the first half of the 20th century. His most controversial project was the mural he created for the Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Diego Rivera’s Mural Panel of the American Revolution Read Post »
Jefferson turned a blind eye to slavery, rooted in fake subjective science, while Paine saw humanity as one whole: “The world is my country, my religion is to do good.” In this sense, Kindness in Paine’s writings is the end product of the Enlightenment, waiting for realization.
A Tale of Two Toms: Jefferson and Paine’s Radically Different Visions of America Read Post »
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.
We should never fail to recount the story of the American Revolution. We should never forget that our nation was forged in struggle, a struggle — however inadequate and in need of continual renewal and advancement — that was revolutionary.
This fundamental contribution to Paine’s political thought, based on a Ph. D thesis at the Sorbonne, deserves to be translated into English so that it becomes available to all Anglophones interested in the subject.
BOOK REVIEW: La Pensee Politique de Thomas Paine en Contexte: Theorie at Pratique Read Post »
