Thomas Paine Accomplishments

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During the Enlightenment period, many people had amazing ideas and a lasting legacy. The Enlightenment period was a movement in history that swept through Europe and different individuals would come up with new ideas about scientific explanation to create a more just society ("History's Heroes." Thomas Paine). One of those individuals is Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine is knows as a political philosopher and writer who was born in the year 1737 (History. Com Staff. "Thomas Paine"). As he grew up, he started to have a major passion for writing where he expressed his ideas. When he was around 13 years old, he would stay home to shipbuild with his father ("Thomas Paine Biography"). Thomas Paine had many hardships in his life. One of them is that his …show more content…
"Thomas Paine"). It centralizes the ideas of the superiority of the republican government over a monarch, equality to all citizens, and the world significance of the Enlightenment and American Revolution. (History. Com Staff. "Thomas Paine"). Over 500,000 copies of “ Common Sense” were handed out to colonists ("Paine, Thomas Enlightenment"). The Continental Congress made a decision to issue the Declaration of Independence which was presided over by the spirit of “Common Sense” ("Paine, Thomas Enlightenment"). Throughout the years of war, Thomas Paine served as a volunteer personal assistant to the troops ("Thomas Paine Biography"). He even wrote sixteen “Crisis” papers which seemed to appear between the years 1776 and 1783("Thomas Paine Biography"). Each of the papers would begin with the saying “ These are the times that try men's souls” ("Thomas Paine Biography"). His papers tried to morale Washington’s army (History. Com Staff. "Thomas Paine"). Washington read Paine's papers at Valley Forge as hope that it would lead them to victory ("Thomas Paine Biography"). After he wrote these papers, he did not quit writing. Instead, he worked harder. He went back to England and started to write a book called”The Rights of Man”("Thomas Paine Biography"). This book completely supported the French Revolution. It discussed issues in the society and how Europe's inheritance laws were going to end ("Thomas Paine Biography"). Unfortunately, the British government …show more content…
In this writing, Paine rejects Christianity and expressed his commitment to science and Sir Isaac Newton ("Paine, Thomas Enlightenment"). Paine tries to express that there is an intelligent designer for the world which is God but we should not consider him as a righteous judge ("Paine, Thomas Enlightenment"). Thomas Paine knew a lot about the latest scientific theories which is why this writing was probably the most influential during the Enlightenment period. Thomas also found a way to be an engineer and an inventor ("Thomas Paine Biography"). Some of his developments include a crane for lifting objects, a smokeless candle, the idea of using gunpowder, and he had a fascination for bridges ("Thomas Paine