Thomas Paine was a writer born on January 29, 1737 in Thetford, England whose works helped to spark the Revolutionary War. He supported the American Revolution, although he believed it didn't go far enough. He briefly lived in the rebelling colonies before returning to Europe in time to take part in the French Revolution.
His works include:
- Common Sense - published in 1776, challenged British authority over the colonies, spoke to the common people [1]
- The Crisis - series of articles published 1776-77 during the American Revolutionary War[2]
- The Rights of Man - published in 1792, support for the French Revolution[3]
- Age of Reason - published in 1794, 1796, an anti-religious text [4]