Thomas Paine Biography

Occup.Writer
FromEngland
BornJanuary 29, 1737
Thetford, England
DiedJune 8, 1809
New York City, New York, United States
CauseKidney infection
Aged72 years
Thomas Paine was a political protestor as well as writer who played a considerable duty in motivating the American Revolution. He was birthed in Thetford, Norfolk, England, in 1737, the boy of a Quaker corset manufacturer. Paine had actually limited education and learning, but he was deeply captivated by politics and social issues.

Paine moved to the British colonies in North America in 1774, where he rapidly came to be involved in cutting edge politics. He after that functioned as an editor and also writer for a number of magazines, including the Pennsylvania Magazine, where he published his well-known essay "Common Sense". The essay, which suggested for American freedom from Britain, ended up being an instantaneous feeling and assisted to galvanize the American Revolution.

After the American Revolution, Paine went back to England and also proceeded creating on national politics and social concerns. He created a publication called "The Rights of Man", which promoted for an extreme overhaul of the British political system. The book was extremely popular and gained Paine numerous supporters but additionally several adversaries in the British establishment.

Paine remained to advocate reform up until his fatality in 1809. He is kept in mind as one of the most essential political thinkers of his time as well as one of the founding daddies of the United States.

Paine had a close partnership with several various other popular numbers of his time, consisting of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. He likewise had a hard personal life, with a number of fell short marital relationships as well as a background of economic struggles. Nevertheless, his tradition as a political thinker and writer lives on to this day, motivating generations of protestors and also revolutionaries.

Our collection contains 56 quotes who is written / told by Thomas, under the main topic Government.

Related authors: Thomas Jefferson (President), Benjamin Franklin (Politician), George Washington (President), William Blake (Poet)

Thomas Paine Famous Works:
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56 Famous quotes by Thomas Paine

Small: The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance
"The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance"
Small: The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic as
"The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum"
Small: The Vatican is a dagger in the heart of Italy
"The Vatican is a dagger in the heart of Italy"
Small: A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue but m
"A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice"
Small: A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right
"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right"
Small: The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection
"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection"
Small: The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason
"The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason"
Small: The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, a
"The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security"
Small: The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph"
Small: The greatest remedy for anger is delay
"The greatest remedy for anger is delay"
Small: The abilities of man must fall short on one side or the other, like too scanty a blanket when you are a
"The abilities of man must fall short on one side or the other, like too scanty a blanket when you are abed. If you pull it upon your shoulders, your feet are left bare; if you thrust it down to your feet, your shoulders are uncovered"
Small: If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace
"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace"
Small: I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace
"I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace"
Small: I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by ref
"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death"
Small: I believe in the equality of man and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving m
"I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy"
Small: Human nature is not of itself vicious
"Human nature is not of itself vicious"
Small: He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nat
"He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death"
Small: He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression for if he violates
"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself"
Small: He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny
"He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third"
Small: Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil in its worst state, an intolerable one
"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one"
Small: Every science has for its basis a system of principles as fixed and unalterable as those by which the u
"Every science has for its basis a system of principles as fixed and unalterable as those by which the universe is regulated and governed. Man cannot make principles; he can only discover them"
Small: Every religion is good that teaches man to be good and I know of none that instructs him to be bad
"Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad"
Small: Character is much easier kept than recovered
"Character is much easier kept than recovered"
Small: But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants is the liberty of appe
"But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants is the liberty of appearing"
Small: Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man
"Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man"
Small: Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as p
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them"
Small: Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true
"Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true"
Small: An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot
"An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot"
Small: All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than
"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit"
Small: Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil i
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one"
Small: Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it
"Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it"
Small: These are the times that try mens souls
"These are the times that try men's souls"
Small: Reason obeys itself and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it
"Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it"
Small: To establish any mode to abolish war, however advantageous it might be to Nations, would be to take fro
"To establish any mode to abolish war, however advantageous it might be to Nations, would be to take from such Government the most lucrative of its branches"
Small: Time makes more converts than reason
"Time makes more converts than reason"
Small: Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it"
Small: There are matters in the Bible, said to be done by the express commandment of God, that are shocking to
"There are matters in the Bible, said to be done by the express commandment of God, that are shocking to humanity and to every idea we have of moral justice"
Small: Persecution is not an original feature in any religion but it is always the strongly marked feature of
"Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law"
Small: My country is the world, and my religion is to do good
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good"
Small: Moderation in temper is always a virtue but moderation in principle is always a vice
"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice"
Small: Lead, follow, or get out of the way
"Lead, follow, or get out of the way"
Small: It is the direction and not the magnitude which is to be taken into consideration
"It is the direction and not the magnitude which is to be taken into consideration"
Small: It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes
"It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes"
Small: It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat t
"It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same"
Small: It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not co
"It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe"
Small: It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry
"It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry"
Small: It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance
"It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance"
Small: Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such co
"Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities"
Small: When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary
"When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary"
Small: When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon
"When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon"
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