46 Pages
HIST 1301
US History to 1877
Submitted By:
Ashley M. Porter
December 2, 2013
Professor Robert Jacobus
Lone Star Community College
In Scott Liell’s 46 pages, he identifies a now well-known name acquainted with the
American Revolution, Thomas Paine. The novel centers around a famous body of work
written by Paine called Common Sense.
Paine, born February 9, 1737 in Thetford, England, in the county of Norfolk is known
today as a political activist, author, and revolutionary. But before all of this Thomas Paine
was just a simple son of a Quaker, who ran away from home, married twice, and had
recently been fired twice as an excise officer. He was for the most part unsuccessful in all
occupations he invested his time in. After returning from two years at sea, Paine took up
tax collecting. In ___Paine moved to Lewes, England where he continued to serve as a tax
collector but also as a spokesman for the people of England. Paine spoke about how
ordinary people were mistreated by the law and the English government. He joined the
Headstrong Club, a debating club and became one of their best debaters. While still in the
city of Lewes, Pain was approached by a group of tax collectors who asked him to write a
petition to Parliament for better working conditions, higher salary, and other issues being
neglected. Paine agreed to do so and in 1774 after putting together the petition he took it to
London to present to Parliament. It was here in London that Paine would catch the
attention of American activist Benjamin Franklin. Taking into consideration that the two
had not been acquainted for long as well as Paine’s scattered background, Franklin was at
first quite hesitant to recommend Paine, but the passion he showed in his debate would