Thomas Paine Essays - American Revolution, Pamphlets,

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine came as a English man who didn't have much of anything, not many friends, not much money, but with the help of others wishing to keep him alive and give him a chance at a new life. Thomas Paine grew from a sick, unshaven, almost penniless, dirty man to a clean shaven man who helped band thousands of Englishmen together to fight for Independence. Thomas Paine was born in England on January 29, 1737. Paine travelled to American 1774, He landed, then went to Pennsylvania. When he landed he started teaching two children with the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin. After he got a job as a journalist and essayist and helped a Scotsman named Robert Aitkin start a magazine called the Pennsylvania Magazine. They talked all night about it. Aitkin taught Paine everything he would need to know about the job. Atkin gave Paine food, a shaving, clean clothes and cleaned up his act. Paine, who had been a heavy drinker had stopped drinking for a while, too. The Battle at Lexington and Concorde soon came about and nobody was too happy about it. The next day after they heard this news, a huge mob assembled outside of the state house. Thomas Paine was one of the speakers trying to calm down all of the eight-thousand people that were in front of the building. Paine soon went to a ball to represent the Pennsylvania Magazine in which he represented. He had a lot of answers to questions people kept asking him. Paine was finally fired when he argued with Aitkin because he wanted to put an article in the paper. It was called Reflections on Titles. The Second Continental Congress met, and Paine was introduced to someone he didn't recognize named George Washington. Paine spent two days in his room trying to write down what he thought of all this. One night soon after, Paine was drunk with Sam Adams and Michael Clowsky, the expatriate pole and he mentioned that he thinks they need a new world, or independence. At first the Pole laughed at him, but Adams liked the idea. Aitkin still tried to get Paine back because many people liked his articles and his poems he'd have in the paper. Paine still stood his ground and said no, Aitkin also didn't want Paine to hold a grudge, but Paine said he doesn't hold a grudge against anyone but himself. One of Paine's friends was Thomas Jefferson. Paine looked forward to sharing a pot of coffee with him, dinner or just sitting in front of a fire. Jefferson drew from Paine as much of him as he could and then put the confused memories and assembled it all with meaning. One time Jefferson was giving a small dinner and asked Paine to come. At first Paine refused because he valued his friendship with Jefferson and didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of Virginians. Jefferson finally persuaded Paine to go. Paine was amazed at the dinner. Washington knew of Paine and quickly shook hands with him. Washington often read the Pennsylvania Magazine while Paine didn't expect him to of read anything. Paine grew a friendship with Washington and wasn't surprised when Washington was made commander in chief of group of Yankees who were like hungry wolves around Boston. After meeting a family called the Rumpels, Paine knew what he had to do. He wanted to be more clear. Then he started to write Common Sense. He only had a bed, a bolster, chest, coat-rack, table, two fairly good suits of clothes, ink and paper. That was all that he needed plus a few pennies for candles, something for food, and something to drink. Paine started drinking rum or anything that would help his pen move on the paper. Without realizing it, he neglected his appearence, sometimes spending twenty-four hours in his room, shaving less often, holding his small stash of money, allowing his clothes to wear out and become shabby. Thomas sometimes sold a poem or two to Aitkin. While he would sell, Aitkin would ask how his masterpiece would be coming along. Paine said that it wasn't a masterpiece, it was just some common sense. When he was finished with it, Aitkin refused to publish it because he didn't want to get caught for treason. He did, however, recommend someone who 'prints everything. Paine went to the man whose name was Bobby Bell, also a Scotsman. It was soon published as a small book. People everywhere