Thomas Paine’s Writings – Essays

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Essays

This is a list of Thomas Paine essays. Keep in mind you can find Common Sense and other important works by Paine in our Major Works section. You can read any of the works below by clicking on the titles. Enjoy!

PAINE WRITINGS LEGEND

Major Works

American Revolution

American Revolution

American Politics & Government

American Politics & Government
Essays

Essays

English Affairs

English Affairs

French Revolution

French Revolution
Other

Other

Poetry

Religion

Letters

recently Discovered

Recently Discovered

Works Removed

1772

Case of the Excise Officers

To Oliver Goldsmith December 21, 1772

1775

The Snowdrop and the Critic

The Magazine in America

A Dialogue between General Wolfe and General Gage

New Anecdotes of Alexander the Great

Useful and Entertaining Hints

The Death of General Wolfe

Reflections on the Life and Death of Lord Clive

An Account of the Burning of Bachelors’ Hall

To Honorable Benjamin Franklin Esqr. March 4th, 1775

African Slavery in America

Cupid and Hymen

Reflections on Titles

The Dream Interpreted

Reflections on Unhappy Marriages

Farmer Short’s Dog Porter: A Tale

An Occasional Letter on the Female Sex

A Serious Thought

1776

Epistle to Quakers

The Forester’s Letters

Four Letters on Interesting Subjects

Dialogue between the Ghost of General Montgomery and an American Delegate

To Anonymous August 16, 1776

1777

Retreat across the Delaware

Candid and Critical Remarks on a Letter Signed Ludlow

To Honorable Benjamin Franklin LL.D. June 20th, 1777

To Richard Henry Lee July 1, 1777

To Honorable Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. July 9th, 1777

To William Bingham July 16, 1777

To Timothy Matlack Oct. 30, 1777

1778

To Henry Laurens April 11, 1778

To the Honorable Benjamin Franklin, Esqr. May 16, 1778

To the Honorable Benjamin Franklin May 16, 1778

To Henry Laurens Spring 1778

To his Excellency George Washington June 5th, 1778

To Benjamin Franklin October 24, 1778

A Serious Address To The People Of Pennsylvania On The Present Situation Of Their Affairs

The Affair of Silas Deane

To Henry Laurens December 15, 1778

1779

To M. Gerard January 2, 1779

To the Honorable Congress of the United States January 6, 1779

To the Congress of the United States January 7, 1779

To the Congress of the United States January 8, 1779

To the Honorable Henry Laurens January 14, 1779

To the Honorable Henry Laurens January 17, 1779

To his Excellency George Washington January 31, 1779

To Major-General Greene January 31, 1779

To Benjamin Franklin March 4, 1779

Response to *Observations on the American Revolution*

To the Honorable Congress of the United States March 30, 1779

To the Honorable Congress of the United States April 3, 1779

To the Honorable Congress of the United States April 21, 1779

To the Hon. John Jay April 23, 1779

To Hon. John Jay May 20, 1779

To the Continental Congress May 25, 1779

To the Honorable Congress of the United States June 17, 1779

Peace and the Newfoundland Fisheries

To the Honorable Henry Laurens September 14, 1779

To his Excellency Joseph Reed, Esq. Sept. 18th, 1779

To the Supreme Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania September 28th, 1779

To the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania October 11, 1779

To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Packet

1780

The American Philosophical Society

Emancipation of Slaves

The Crisis VIII

To Blair McClenaghan May, 1780

To the Honorable Joseph Reed June 4, 1780

To Major-General Nathanael Greene September 9, 1780

The Crisis Extraordinary

To the Honorable Members of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania November 3rd, 1780.

1781

To Benjamin Franklin (May) 1781

To Major-General Nathanael Greene January 10, 1781

To James Hutchinson March 11th, 1781

To Benjamin Franklin May 28, 1781

To his Excellency Thomas McKean [August or September, 1781]

To the Honorable Robert Morris, Esqr. September 20, [1781]

To Colonel [John] Laurens October 4, 1781

To Honorable Robert Morris November 26, 1781

To Jonathan Williams, Merchant November 26, 1781

To his Excellency George Washington November 30, 1781

1782

To Honorable Robert Morris, Esq. January 24, 1782

To Robert Morris February 20, 1782

To Honorable Robert Morris, Esq. March 1782

To Honorable Robert Morris March 17th, 1782

To his Excellency George Washington March 17th, 1782

The Necessity of Taxation

Response to an Accusation of Bribery

A Supernumerary Crisis

To Robert Morris September 6, 1782

To his Excellency George Washington September 7, 1782

Epitaph on General Charles Lee

To Robert Morris November 20, 1782

Letter to the Abbe Raynal

To Robert Morris December 7, 1782

Six Letters to Rhode Island

1783

To Robert Morris January 23, 1783

The Crisis XIII

To his Excellency Elias Boudinot June 7th, 1783

To Doctor Benjamin Rush June 13th, 1783

To his Excellency Elias Boudinot June 20th, 1783

To W. Wallace Junior June 30th, 1783

To his Excellency George Washington July 22, 1783

The Address of the Citizens of Philadelphia

To his Excellency George Washington September 21, 1783

Hail Great Republic!

To a Committee of the Continental Congress October, 1783

To his Excellency George Washington October 2, 1783

To George Washington October 13, 1783

To Robert Morris October 14, 1783

To James Duane December 3, 1783

A Supernumerary Crisis II

1784

To General Lewis Morris February 16th, 1784

To His Excellency George Washington April 28, 1784

To Honorable General Irwin, Vice-President November 27th, 1784

1785

To the Continental Congress August 13, 1785

To a Committee of Congress September 1785

To Honorable Benjamin Franklin, ESQ., September 23, 1785

To Temple Franklin Sept. 23, 1785

To the Congress of the United States September 27, 1785

To the Congress of the United States September 28, 1785

To Mr. Claypoole (Pennsylvania Packet) December, 1785

To His Excellency Benjamin Franklin December, 31 1785

1786

To Mr Henry Claypoole (Pennsylvania Packet) January, 1786

Dissertations on Government

To a Member of the Pennsylvania Council June, 1786

To His Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Esquire June 6th, 1786

To Daniel Clymer, Esqr. September 1786

On the Affairs of The State

To John Hall September 22, 1786

Attack On Paper Money Laws

To the Honarable Thomas Fitzsimmons November 19th, 1786

To George Clymer, Esquire Nov 19th, 1786

1787

The Society for Political Inquiries

To His Excellency Benjamin Franklin March 31, 1787

To Benjamin Franklin June 22, 1787

To The Royal Academy of Sciences July 21, 1787

To George Clymer August 15, 1787

Prospects on the Rubicon

To the Right Honorable the Marquis of Lansdowne Sept. 21, 1787

To George Clymer, Esquire December 29, 1787

1788

To Thomas Jefferson February 19, 1788

To Thomas Jefferson May, 1788

Specification of Thomas Paine

To Thomas Jefferson September 7, 1788

To Thomas Jefferson September 9, 1788

To Thomas Jefferson September 15, 1788

To Thomas Jefferson December 16, 1788

Some Of The Letters Paine Wrote To Jefferson During 1788–1789 Concerning The Iron Bridge

1789

To Thomas Jefferson [1789]

To Anonymous [1789]

To Kitty Nicholson Few January 6, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson February, 16th, 1789

To Thomas Walker, Esqr. February 26th, 1789

To Benjamin West March 8, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson February 26th, 1789 & March 12, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson April 10, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson May 1789

To Anonymous May 1, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson June 17, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson June 18, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson July 13, [1789]

To Thomas Jefferson September 15, 1789

To Thomas Jefferson September 18, 1789

To George Washington, 16 October 1789

Some Of The Letters Paine Wrote To Jefferson During 1788–1789 Concerning The Iron Bridge

1790

To Benjamin Rush March 16, 1790

To Anonymous April 16, 1790

To His Excellency George Washington May 1790

To His Excellency George Washington May 31, 1790

To William Short June 1, 1790

To William Short June 4, 1790

To William Short June 22, 1790

To William Short June 23 and 25, 1790

To William Short June 28, 1790

To Thomas Jefferson September 28, 1790

1791

Rights of Man Appendix

Rights of Man Part the First

To Messiurs Condorcet, Bonneville, and Lanthenas 1 June, 1791.

To Abbe Sieyes July 8, 1791

To His Excellency George Washington July 21, 1791

Address and Declaration

To William Short November 2, 1791

Thoughts on the Establishment of a Mint in the United States

To John Hall November 25, 1791

1792

Rights of Man Author’s Notes

Rights of Man Part the Second

To Thomas Jefferson February 13, 1792

To George Washington February 13, 1792

To J.S. Jordan February 16, 1792

To the Chairman of the Society for Promoting Constitutional Knowledge

To the English Attorney-General

To the Chairman of the Society for Promoting Constitutional Knowledge (2)

Answer to Four Questions

Letters on the Prosecution of Rights of Man

Letters to Onslow Cranley

To The Sheriff of the County of Sussex

Letter Addressed to the Addressers

Address to the People of France

To Benjamin Mosley October 1, 1792

An Essay for the Use of New Republicans

To the French National Convention October 22, 1792

To the English Attorney General (Archibald MacDonald) November 11, 1792

On the Propriety of Bringing Louis XVI to Trial

To Citizen Le Brun December 4, 1792

1793

To Citizen Barrere 1793

Observations on the Situation of the Powers

Plan of a Declaration

To John King January 3, 1793

Shall Louis XVI be Respited?

To Doctor James O’Fallon February the 17, 1793

To Thomas Jefferson April 20, 1793

To George Jacques Danton May 6, 1793

Citizen of America to Citizens of Europe

To Citizen Barrere September 5, 1793

To Thomas Jefferson October 20, 1793

The Age of Reason — Part I

1794

From the Castle in the Air

To Gouverneur Morris February 24, 1794

To the French National Convention August 7, 1794

To James Monroe August 16, 1794

To James Monroe August 18, 1794

To James Monroe August 25, 1794

To James Monroe September 14, 1794

To James Monroe [October 1794]

To James Monroe October 4, 1794

To James Monroe October 13, 1794

To James Monroe October 20, 1794

To James Monroe November 2, 1794

The New Covenant

1795

To James Monroe [1795]

To Samuel Adams March 6, 1795

Dissertation on the First Principles of Government

Observations on Jay’s Treaty

The Constitution of 1795

To Bache August 5, 1795

To James Madison September 24, 1795

The Age of Reason — Part II

To Gilbert Wakefield, A.B. November 19, 1795

To Daniel Isaacs Eaton December 4, 1795

1796

Agrarian Justice

Letters on the Bank

The Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance

Letter to George Washington

To a French Minister August 13, 1796

To James Monroe August 15, 1796

1797

To M. Tallyrand [September 1797]

To Colonel John Fellows January 20, 1797

To Anonymous March 4, 1797

To Thomas Jefferson April 1, 1797

To James Madison April 27, 1797

Age of Reason Letters

To Thomas Jefferson May 14, 1797

To M. Tallyrand [1797]

Worship and Church Bells

Prosecution of the Age of Reason

The Recall of Monroe

The Eighteenth Fructidor

To Citizen Barras December 29, 1797

1798

To the Council of the Five Hundred January 28, 1798

To Citizen President Spring 1798

1799

Star in the East

To General Brune November, 1799

Notes On Thomas Muir, 1765-1799

1800

To Citizen Skipwith Spring 1800

To Anonymous July 1800

To Thomas Jefferson October 1, 1800 – No. 1

To Thomas Jefferson October 1, 1800 – No. 2

To Thomas Jefferson October 16, 1800

To Thomas Jefferson October 4, 1800

To Thomas Jefferson October 6, 1800

1801

The Existence of God

To Thomas Jefferson June 9, 1801

To Thomas Jefferson June 25, 1801

On the Means of generating Motion for Mechanical Uses

To Thomas Jefferson November 4, 1801

1802

To Elihu Palmer February 21, 1802, since the Fable of Christ

To Thomas Jefferson March 17, 1802

An Essay on Dream

To Consul Roth July 8, 1802

To Thomas Jefferson November, 1802

Pact Maritime / To the Citizens of the United States

To Madame Bonneville November 15, 1802

To Thomas Jefferson Dec 25, 1802

1803

To Samuel Adams January 1, 1803

To the Editor of the National Intelligencer January 1, 1803

Examination of the Prophesies

My Private Thoughts on a Future State

To Thomas Jefferson January 12, 1803

From Mr. Paine to Mr. Jefferson

Reply to the Bishop of Llandaff

To Thomas Clio Rickman March 8, 1803

Of Caine And Abel

Of the Old and New Testament

The Construction of Iron Bridges

To James Monroe July, 1803

Lines, Extempore

To Charles W. Peale July 29th, 1803

To John C. Breckenridge Aug. 2, 1803

To Thomas Jefferson August 2, 1803

To James Madison August 6, 1803

To Thomas Jefferson September 23, 1803

To Elisha Babcock 1803-10-10

1804

Prospect Papers

To Citizen Skipwith March 1, 1804

To the People of England on the Invasion of England

To Mr. Hyer March 24, 1804

To Col. John Fellows July 9, 1804

To the people of Connecticut

Remarks on Gouverneur Morris’s Funeral Oration on General Hamilton

Nonsense from New York

To Elisha Babcock 1804-08-27

To the Members of the Society

Of the Sabbath Day in Connecticut

To the French Inhabitants of Louisiana

Connecticut has no Constitution

1805

To Thomas Jefferson January 1, 1805

To Thomas Jefferson January 25, 1805

To Mr. Hulbert of Sheffield March 12, 1805

To Thomas Jefferson April 20, 1805 – No. 2

To Thomas Jefferson April 20, 1805 – No. 1

To John Fellows April 22, 1805

Constitutions, Governments, and Charters

On the Origin of Freemasonry

To Elisha Babcock July 2, 1805

Remarks on English Affairs

To John Fellows July 9, 1805

Another Callender

To John Fellows July 31, 1805

To the Citizens of Pennsylvania on the Proposal for Calling a Convention

To Thomas Jefferson September 30, 1805

1806

To Thomas Jefferson January 30, 1806

To John Inskeep February 10, 1806

To Anonymous March 20, 1806

To William Duane April 23, 1806

The Cause of the Yellow Fever

To Andrew Dean, August 15, 1806

A Challenge to the Federalists

Liberty of the Press

Remarks on the Political and Military Affairs of Europe

Thomas Paine On Yellow Fever

1807

Of the English Navy

Three Letters to Morgan Lewis

To James Madison May 3, 1807

To George Clinton May 4, 1807

To Joel Barlow May 4, 1807

Of the Comparative Powers and Expense of Ships of War

On the Question Will There be War?

Cheethem and his Tory Paper

To James Monroe, December 30, 1807

1808

To the Honorable Senate of the United States, January 21, 1808

To the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, February 28, 1808

To the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, March 7, 1808

To the People of New York

To Thomas Jefferson July 8, 1808

1809

The Will of Thomas Paine