LITR 4231 Early American Literature Sample Research Posts 2014 (research post assignment) Research Post 2

Josh Cobb

American Prometheus

            Thomas Paine is perhaps the most under-appreciated figure in American history. It is widely believed that without the fervor of Paine’s writing, the revolution would have never taken hold. His passion for revolution and social reform go un-rivaled, and his writings continue to inspire readers today. However, despite being a major mover in the American Revolution, the fate of Paine was less than idyllic; after helping to spread the idea of enlightenment across the colonies, he reaped very little of its rewards. After the dust settled, Paine found himself lost in relative obscurity. He was largely ignored and omitted from the American pantheon. He represents an American Prometheus; with his writing, he endowed the fire of enlightenment to the American population at large, and ultimately he suffered a fall from grace in the political field.

            The seed of enlightenment was in full bloom during the time of the American Revolution. With this movement of knowledge came a re-envisioning of the socio-political landscape on a global scale. Paine and the other founding fathers drew from the enlightenment writers of the time, such as Locke, Mills, and Hobbes, all of whom prescribed their own brand of political and social freedom. Their ideas of just government, political representation, and the nature of freedom spoke volumes to the largely oppressed population of the time. Paine firmly believed in their philosophy of the Enlightenment. He took these ideas and used them as inspiration for his own revolutionary rhetoric. Paine’s peculiar version of Enlightenment philosophy was deemed “radical enlightenment” due to his antagonistic relationship with the existing powers of his time. It was this vein of radical Enlightenment which empowered Paine to write his passionate pieces of liberty and autonomy, and it was these works which he used to spread the philosophy of the Enlightenment throughout the American colonies.

            Paine showed himself as a selfless individual completely supportive of the revolutionary movement. He was very much a pioneer during the revolution, often being accredited as being the true instigator of the colonial secession from England. He wrote extensively on an independent colonial nation free of Britain. One of such works was his perhaps most known title, Common Sense. When this piece was written, it was published anonymously and without copy write.[1] Because of this, Paine received next to nothing for this major contribution; this alone speaks volumes of his dedication to the cause. Without this monolithic piece of American literature, it is likely that the morale of the American people would not have been able to be maintained, and the revolution would have been in jeopardy. Even John Quincy Adams famously said of the work that “[it] crystallized public opinion and was the first factor in bringing about the Revolution.” It is because of this piece that Paine became famous on an international scale, but his fame did not come without consequence.

During the revolution, Paine became an international figure. He was under constant surveillance by the British, who believed him to be the primary instigator of colonial secession. He had been effectively charged with “sedition” by the British Parliament. After leaving the country, and missing his court-date, he was banished by parliament. Troubles with the established government followed Paine into France, and while living in the newly formed French Republic he narrowly escaped execution on multiple occasions. The first of these incarcerations he was liberated by James Monroe. Upon returning to France post-revolution, he was imprisoned yet again while a member of the French Assembly for his refusal to agree with the Jacobins. On this occasion he asserted that he was denied bail by a newly empowered George Washington. It seemed that wherever he looked, Paine could not find political asylum for his views.

Works Cited

Maurice Bisheff. (2012) Bulletin of Thomas Paine and Friends, 7. Web, 19 Apr. 2014 Retrieved from http://www.thomas-paine-friends.org/bisheff-maurice_paine-spinoza-and-the-radical-enlightenment-2012-07.pdf

Elbert Hubbard. (1919) Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Reformers. Web, 19 Apr. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.thomas-paine-friends.org/hubbard-elbert_thomas-paine-1919.html

Thomas Paine, Letters to George Washington. Web, 19 Apr. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.thomas-paine-friends.org/paine-thomas_letter-to-george-washington-1796-01.html