Tom Paine’s War: Thomas Paine in the American Revolution – Liberty 250® Lecture

In the final months of 1775, Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant from England wrote "Common Sense," the most influential pamphlet of the era. He convinced reluctant Americans to declare themselves independent. Paine then volunteered with the Pennsylvania militia and marched to war as a private. He transferred to the Continental Army and stayed on the front lines of the war during 1776. He accompanied George Washington’s army on their harrowing retreat across New Jersey. He then wrote "The American Crisis," the most stirring rallying cry in American history. The new pamphlet boosted morale just as Washington was deciding to cross the Delaware River and counterattack the enemy at Trenton. In later years, Paine’s stature was diminished because of his enthusiasm for the French Revolution and his publication of a tract defending his deist faith. His reputation never recovered, but he remains for many a towering figure in early American history and one of the most insightful and large-hearted of the founders. This lecture is co-sponsored by the Legal History Committee of the New York City Bar Association. This lecture will take place in-person and via Zoom.