Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine and Religious Liberty
In Thomas Paine’s day, no idea was more accepted than the idea that the church was inextricably connected to the state. In the 1700s, the concept had centuries of precedent in nearly all corners of the world, including England, France, and even America – where several...
Thomas Paine, Execution Escape Artist
Americans generally remember Thomas Paine as the renowned writer of Common Sense, the most persuasive and popular case for American independence from the British crown. However, many may be unaware that the radical political agitator later returned to his native...
Thomas Paine, Bridge Builder
Thomas Paine had many talents beyond writing, but the most surprising and under-appreciated was his aptitude for engineering. Following the American triumph in the War of Independence, Paine became encumbered with financial issues that plagued him for many years. As I...
Thomas Paine: The First American Whistleblower
In 2013, Edward Snowden’s revelations about the invasive nature of the American surveillance state raised many questions about state secrecy, the morality of state whistleblowing, and the role of government in general. What many don’t realize, however, was that the...