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 Europe, where his actions led him to be sentenced to execution in both England and France.
Thomas Paine had many talents beyond writing, but the most surprising and under-appreciated was his aptitude for engineering.
In 2013, Edward Snowden’s revelations about the invasive natural of the American surveillance state raised many questions about the state secrecy, the morality of state whistleblowing, and the role of government in general. What many don’t realize, however, was that the same dynamics were also at play during the American War for Independence, where Thomas […]
In 1774, there was nothing more extreme than a belief in the abolition of slavery. Nevertheless, before there was Common Sense and The Rights of Man, there was Thomas Paine the abolitionist.
What would you think if I told you that America’s banner-waver of the American Revolution – often described as a “tax revolt” – was actually a tax collector? Well, I don’t have to allege it, because it’s true.
It is sometimes alleged that the Louisiana Purchase was a particularly unconstitutional act and an example of presidential malfeasance.
