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Hello, Morgan!
Earlier this month we marked the 250th anniversary of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and his birthday is just a few days away (January 29th). So in honor of this unofficial Tom Paine month we’re bringing you a new book on one of America’s immigrant founders.
Today we’re joined by Jack Kelly, the author of Tom Paine’s War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time. Jack is a public scholar, historian and novelist. Here’s Jack to reveal more about the man behind the pamphlets.
Tell us about your book in two or three sentences. What's the big story you're uncovering?
In 1776, Thomas Paine almost single-handedly convinced American patriots to declare their independence from Britain. And he didn’t stop there. He marched with Washington’s army during the harrowing retreat to Pennsylvania, and helped rally the troops with the most stirring line in American history, the essay that famously notes: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
What first sparked your interest in this topic?
In junior high I read Howard Fast’s Citizen Tom Paine and fell for the sometimes disheveled, always amiable character he depicted. Later I came to understand the fresh ideas that Paine brought to the American cause, in effect turning a rebellion over taxes into a true revolution. And I especially found it inspiring that Paine, having become a celebrity author, still saw it his duty to volunteer as a private in the militia. He joined the struggle when the existence of the new nation was on the line.
What's one surprising or little-known detail you discovered in your research?
One of the important influences on Paine’s style and method of arguing came from the formal debates held among the patrons of English public houses. Paine won prizes for his wit and clarity. I was intrigued by the image of ordinary people drinking ale and seriously discussing the issues of their time.
Why does this story matter for understanding the early American past or the present?
Paine is one of the most neglected of our founders, yet he articulated the ideas of equality and human rights as clearly as anyone of his era. He was not a rich man or a slave owner but a working-class thinker. He wrote for Americans facing a crisis, offering both sound advice and encouraging words. I really believe he is the “founder for our time.”
If you could invite readers into one scene from your book, what moment would you choose and why?
I have tried, in all my writing about the Revolutionary War, to make the scenes of combat real to readers. I depict the sounds, smells, sights, and feelings that made the experience so vivid. In Tom Paine’s War, this comes through particularly in my description of the crucial second battle of Trenton where American patriots withstood repeated attempts by the British to break their line and their spirit. I hope that by describing this crucial moment of the revolution I give readers an appreciation of the great sacrifice required to win our freedom.
What's one historical source, artifact, or place you'd recommend for readers who want to explore this topic further?
Standing at Washington’s Crossing, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Delaware, where the patriot army crossed on Christmas night in a blizzard to save the cause, is always an evocative and inspiring experience.
Where can readers learn more about your work? (website, social media, upcoming events)
Who do you think is America's most compelling founder? What can we learn from their life and times?
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