Writing of propaganda in the 18th century was a serious business. Propagandists wrote articles and books designed to inflame public opinion to such a state that the public would take action that the propagandist advocated.
During the American Revolution, there were propagandists who wrote pamphlets and articles
to further the cause of Independence.
The most prolific of these writers was Thomas Paine.

Paine's writings clearly show the power of words to affect the course of history. The shooting had started at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, but for months, there was no move to break away from England. On January 10, 1776, Paine's pamphlet 'Common Sense' appeared. In brilliant language, logical and passionate, yet so simple that all could understand, Paine argued in favor of declaring independence from Britain. The effect was so electrifying that by June, the Continental Congress resolved to break away; and on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence appeared.

Paine had served for a time in the Continental Army, sharing the hardships of the ill equipped, hard-pressed American troops. He saw the mounting discouragement, and on December 23, 1776, he started publishing 'The Crisis', a series of 16 pamphlets to help inspire the Continental Army. It began with the challenging words: "These are the times that try men's souls." Washington said that without Paine's bold encouragement the American cause might have been lost, and ordered it read to "every corporal's guard in the army."

Thomas Paine today has his admirers and fans. In fact, some people think that Paine's writings should be a guide on the Internet. He was a newspaperman, author, and pamphleteer who gave all profits to the cause of the Revolution.

Web sites

Now look at some interesting Web sites that cover this man. He was the patriot who more than any other that saved a revolution through his writings.

Paine National Historical Association
This is the main site to discover Thomas Paine and his works. This site includes information on the man and where to find his writings and essays.

WIRED 3.05: "The Age of Paine"
This article by Jon Katz is an informative and useful article about Paine and his effective writing. It also examines how useful his style is today, especially on the Internet.

Archive of Thomas Paine Works
This Web site is a collection of Paine's work, including essays that he wrote on the French Revolution.

James Chalmers and "Plain Truth"
For an interesting look at the opposing view of "common sense" check this site out.

An interesting fact about Paine is that someone stole his body from his grave to transport it back to England, but it got lost. To read about this subject, read Thomas Paine's Bones on the Paine in the Net Web site.