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Thomas Paine is born
Thomas Paine was born in England in 1737, on January 29th. to a Quaker father and an Anglican mother. Father: Joseph Paine
Mother: Frances (nee Cocke) Paine. -
Marriage to Mary Lambert
September 27th, 1759, Thomas marries Mary Lambert, who was known as an 'Orphan of Sandwhich'. This meant that she had little to no money, or reltives to provide for her. Mary's father had been an excise officer. -
Mary Lambert Paine Dies
1760 Mary Lambert Paine dies during childbirth. The premature baby dies as well. Thomas moves home to his parents' and starts studying to become an excise officer. -
Requesting Reinstatement
Paine requests reinstatement to the Board of Excise but has to wait for vacancy. Over the next two years he decides to work as a stay-maker in Diss, Norfolk, and later as a servant in Kensington. He also decides to applies to become an ordained minister. -
East Sussex
A short time as a school teacher in London, Paine regains a job as an excise officer within Lewes in East Sussex. Paine lived above a tobacco and snuff shop of Samuel and Ester Ollive. -
Society of Twelve
Thomas Paine becomes involved with the Society of Twelve. The society was a local, itellectual group that met to discuss town politics. Thomas also was a member of the Vestry Church group that collects taxes and tithes to distribute among the poor. -
Marriage to Elizabeth Olive
March 26th 1771, Thomas Paine marries Elizabeth Olive. In the previous year he set up a tobacco business with Elizabeth and her mother after Elizabeth's father's death. -
Emigration
Paine emigrated to the British American Colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. -
Common Sense
In 1776, Thomas wrote and published the pamphlet Common Sense. This book advocated colonial America's independence from the dictatorship of Great Britain. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain." -
French Revolution
Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man (1791) in part a defense of the the French Revolution against the critics. His attacks on Edmund Burke (British writer) led to a trial and conviction. -
French National Convention
In 1792, despite not being able to speak French, he was elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded his as an ally. However, the Montagnards saw him as an enemy. -
The Age of Reason
In December 1793, he was arrested and imprisoned in Paris the released a year later. He became notorious because of The Age of Reason, a book of his that advocates deism, promotes reason and freethinking. It also argues against institutionalized religion, particularly in the Christian doctrine. -
Agrarian Justice
Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet Agrarian Justice in 1795. This book discussed the origins of property, as well as introducing the concept of a guaranteed minimum income. -
Letter to Washington
July 30th, 1796, Being convinced that Washington had betrayed him personally by acquiescing to his imprisonment, Thomas Paine writes Washington an abusive letter. The letter was meant to attack Washington's military reputation and his policy as president. As an affect, Thomas was alienated by most of his friends. -
Death
At age 72, Thomas Paine dies in New York City, New York.
