Thomas PaineThomas Paine (born Thomas Pain, February 9, 1737 [O.S. January 29, 1736] – June 8, 1809; ) was an English-born American Founding Father, inventor, political philosopher, and statesman. He authored Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776–1783), two of the most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he helped to inspire the colonial era patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain.
Thirteen ColoniesToday part ofUnited States
American RevolutionThe American Revolution (1765–1789) was a political movement in the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. It began as a rebellion and turned into a revolution eventually creating the sovereign United States, which was the outcome of the associated American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The Second Continental Congress, as the provisional government, established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in 1775.
PhiladelphiaMost populous city in Pennsylvania, USConsolidated city-county in the United StatesPhiladelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Its population was 1.60 million at the 2020 census and estimated at 1.57 million in 2025.
Thomas JeffersonFounding Father, U.S. president from 1801 to 1809Personal detailsBorn(1743-04-13)April 13, 1743Shadwell Plantation, Virginia, British AmericaDiedJuly 4, 1826(1826-07-04) (aged 83)Monticello, Virginia, U.S.Resting placeMonticello, Virginia, U.S.PartyDemocratic-RepublicanSpouseMartha Wayles (m. 1772; died 1782)Children6 with Martha Wayles, including: Martha Jefferson RandolphMary Jefferson EppesUp to 6 with Sally Hemings, including: Madison HemingsEston HemingsParentsPeter JeffersonJane RandolphEducationCollege of William & MaryOccupationPoliticianLawyerBook CollectorSignatureMilitary serviceAllegianceUnited StatesBranch/serviceVirginia militiaYears of service1775–1776RankColonelUnitAlbemarle County MilitiaBattles/warsAmerican Revolutionary WarPhilosophical workEraAge of EnlightenmentRegionWestern philosophyAmerican philosophySchoolClassical liberalismDeismInstitutionsAmerican Philosophical SocietyMain interestsClassical HistoryTheologyPhilosophyPhilologyMathematicsEngineeringArchitectureBook CollectingClassical MusicNotable worksDeclaration of Independence (1776)Notes on Virginia (1785)Jefferson's Manual (1801)Jefferson Bible (1820)Notable ideasSee listAll men are created equalEmpire of LibertyEntangling alliancesJeffersonian democracyLife, Liberty and the pursuit of HappinessNatural aristocracySeparation of church and stateStrict constructionismWard republicViews on educationViews on Native AmericansViews on slaveryViews on religionThomas Jefferson (April 13[O.S. April 2], 1743 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third president of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809.
Kingdom of Great BritainToday part ofUnited Kingdom EnglandScotlandWales
PamphletA pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a leaflet, or it may consist of a few pages that are folded and saddle stapled or sewn at the crease to make a simple book.
Culture of the United StatesThe culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors, institutions, and norms, including forms of speech, literature, music, visual arts, performing arts, cinema, food, sports, religion, law, technology, as well as other customs, beliefs, and forms of knowledge. American culture has been shaped by the history of the United States, its geography, various internal and external forces, and immigration.
Gordon S. WoodGordon Stewart Wood (November 27, 1933 – June 7, 2026) was an American historian and academic who was a professor at Brown University. He was a recipient of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1992). His book The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787 (1969) won the 1970 Bancroft Prize. In 2010, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.
John Cartwright (political reformer)John Cartwright (28 September 1740 – 23 September 1824) was an English naval officer, Nottinghamshire Militia major and prominent campaigner for parliamentary reform. He subsequently became known as the 'Father of Reform'. His younger brother Edmund Cartwright became famous as the inventor of the power loom.
ProtestantismMajor branch of Christianity
EgalitarianismEgalitarianism (from French égal'equal'; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or moral status. As such, all people should be accorded equal rights and treatment under the law.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.