Thomas Paine wrote Right of Man in 1791, which was a guide to Enlightenment ideas. In 1973, his book The Age of Reason opposed Christian doctrines. Paine claims the title "Father of the American Revolution by Reason of Common Sense", originally titled Plain Truth, which was the pro-independence monograph he published anonymously on January 10, 1776. It quickly spread and was the most popular sold. work in 18th century America. He made complex ideas understandable to ordinary readers, through the use of clear writing in the pamphlet. He argued that the colonies should seek complete independence from Britain because of Britain's unequal power. This was one of the main reasons why the colonies engaged in a battle for total independence. Common sense would have convinced many unsure people of the war's purpose and would have played an important role in influencing the decisions of laymen and legislators. Thomas Paine died at the age of 72 in Greenwich Village, New York on June 8, 1809. He was buried in New Rochelle, New York as he had resided there since 1802 when he returned to America. Although we know where he was initially buried, we do not know his resting place today because his remains were removed from the ground by an admirer seeking to bring them back to England. “Common sense is a genius in its work clothes,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet (Thomas Paine, Common Sense). Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, Norfolk, on January 29, 1737. He was the son of a Quaker founder and he spent many years off the land after trying some trades, such as that of a merchant, on the earth. He didn't go to school until he was thirteen because he started working to...... middle of paper ...... to bring equal rights in America. We were no longer a nation controlled by others, but our own independent nation, free to govern and run the country as we pleased. This still applies today, as the United States is the second most independent country in the world. Thomas Paine helped shape our future which has fortunately become our present. Works Cited “Thomas Paine, Common Sense” StudyMode.com. 11 2008. 2008. 11 2008 .)."Discussion of Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense'". Anti-Trials. January 11, 2014Ricketson, William F. and Jerome D. Wilson. Thomas Paine. Boston: G. K. Hall and Company, 1989. Hogan, J. Michael. “Republican Charisma and the American Revolution: The Common Sense Textual Person of Thomas Paine.” The Quarterly Journal of Speech 86, 1 (February 2000). Journal of Speech 86, 1 (February 2000)