Thomas Paine was an influential pamphleteer during the American and French Revolutions. He wrote influential pamphlets like The Crisis, Common Sense, and Rights of Man to advocate for independence from Britain and support for the revolutionary causes. Though he played a key role in American independence, only a few people attended his funeral due to his criticism of Christianity.

1. Thomas PaineBorn February 9, 1737, Thomas Paine was known as a pamphleteer and contributed to both the American and French Revolutions with the pamphlets The Crisis, Common Sense, and Rights of Man.He died in New York, New York at the age of 72 in 1809, but even though he had been a key figure in obtaining the independence of the United States of America, only six people attended his funeral because of his criticism of Christianity.

2. The American CrisisThe American Crisis, published from 1776-1783, was a series of 16 pamphlets written by Thomas Paine under the pseudonym Common Sense.The pamphlets were used as a way to motivate the American colonists into becoming involved with the revolution and used to shame the people loyal to the King and the people who wanted nothing to do with the revolution into helping.He also states, “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent”, showing that he believes that God would agree with their cause.

3. Common SensePublished anonymously on January 10, 1776, common sense was a pamphlet meant to convince the American colonists to gain their independence from the British.It was written by ,Thomas Paine, in a way that he knew the colonists would be able to understand. With a variety of references to the holy bible and in a way similar to that of a sermon.In the first year of its publication, Common Sense sold half a million copies, but the proceeds went to George Washington and his Continental Army

4. Rights of ManRights of Man was written by Thomas Paine as a way to counter the response of Edmund Burke towards the French revolution in his Reflection on the Revolution in France.He states that a revolution is just if the government in power does not protect its citizens, or their rights.