Thomas Paine

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thomas-paine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Thomas Paine born?February 9, 1737
2. Where was Thomas Paine born?Thetford, Norfolk, England
3. When did Thomas Paine die?June 8, 1809 (age 72)
4. What is the career?Political philosopher, pamphleteer, inventor, revolutionary
5. Who was Thomas Paine and why is he famous?Thomas Paine was an English-born writer who helped start the American and French Revolutions with his powerful, persuasive words.
6. What was the pamphlet "Common Sense" and why did it matter?"Common Sense" was a 47‑page pamphlet published in 1776 that argued the colonies should be independent. It became a bestseller and changed how many people thought about freedom.

Enlightenment: An 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism towards tradition.
Republicanism: A political ideology centered on the concept of a republic, where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.
Deism: A philosophical belief in a deity who created the universe but does not intervene in its affairs.