Thomas Paine
1737–1809 · British-American · Enlightenment
Known for: Corset-maker turned revolutionary pamphleteer whose Common Sense sold 500,000 copies and tipped America toward independence
Fearless, passionate, and perpetually in trouble. His Common Sense galvanized American independence. He participated in both American and French Revolutions, barely escaping the guillotine.
A corset-maker turned world-changing writer. He died impoverished and almost friendless, having alienated every patron.
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