Thomas Paine had an influential career as a writer despite failing out of school and working various jobs, including apprenticing his father. Some of his most notable writings included Common Sense, The Crisis, and The Rights of Man, which advocated for personal freedom and rational thinking and helped drive soldiers during the American Revolution. Though he had a varied work history before becoming a writer, one of the most interesting facts about Paine is that he was able to write some of the most widely read and impactful books in the world through just picking up a pen.