At a time when statues that honor our past often whitewash that history or honor traitors, Paine’s is a legacy all Americans can be proud of today and which our nation should honor. Paine was a thinker far ahead of his time. Almost uniquely among the Founding Fathers he opposed slavery and favored abolition, called for a progressive income tax to pay for universal education (including for both sexes), a welfare system for poor relief, pensions, women’s rights, and more. He was an eloquent advocate for equality and representative government, writing, “The true and only true basis of representative government is equality of rights.” He added, “the danger arises from exclusions.”
Thomas Paine was one the greatest political writers and philosophers of his time; his best-selling works, Common Sense, The Crisis, Rights of Man, and The Age of Reason fundamentally altered the political and social landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries and helped forge the United States of America.
Thomas Paine embodies the American Dream in a selfless way, rising from humble origins and penury to become a foremost political figure of his time, a friend to humanity and a foe to tyrants. He never sought personal power or wealth; instead, he championed the rights of the “common” people and believed emphatically in the dignity and rights of humans, which drove him to challenge the traditional authority of kings and dogmas of established churches, forever changing the course of human history.
Thomas Paine helped create America. It’s time America honored his legacy Thomas Paine - Thomas Paine Memorial Association
The Freedom From Religion Foundation will be celebrating the congressional passage of a bill to create a Thomas Paine memorial in D.C., on the upcoming anniversary of the revolutionary’s birth.
The “Thomas Paine Birthdate Proclamation Celebration,” also cosponsored by the Thomas Paine Memorial Association (TPMA), The Freethought Society, Center For Inquiry and the Secular Student Alliance, will take place on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. Central. The celebration will be accessible via Zoom. More information and a registration link can be found here.
FFRF and its allies have been working hard to pass the Thomas Paine Memorial Bill (HR 3720), which President Biden signed into law on Dec. 27, 2022. It authorizes the construction of a monument in the District of Columbia dedicated to the “Forgotten Founder.”
Three works by the political theorist and Founding Father whose impassioned arguments sparked a watershed moment in the progress of democracy.
Common Sense: Originally published anonymously in 1776, this landmark political pamphlet spread across the colonies like no document of its kind had ever done before. It was read aloud in town squares and affixed to tavern walls. Both a plainly stated case for separation from Great Britain and a stirring call to action, Common Sense played a decisive role in America’s march toward revolution.
Rights of Man: This forceful rebuke of aristocratic rule and persuasive endorsement of self-governance became one of the most influential political statements in history. Thomas Paine asserts that human rights are not granted by the government but inherent to man’s nature. He argues that the purpose of government is to protect those rights, and if a government fails to do so, its people are duty-bound to revolution.
The Age of Reason: In this philosophical treatise on theology, Paine rejects the notion of divine revelation, saying “it is revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other.” He proceeds with a detailed analysis of the Bible’s inconsistencies and historical inaccuracies to conclude that it cannot be a divinely inspired text. Arguing against all forms of organized religion, he declares nature itself to be the only true testament to the existence of a divine creator. The Thomas Paine Collection: Common Sense, Rights of Man, and The Age of Reason - Kindle edition by Paine, Thomas. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
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