Thomas Paine was born in 1737 to a poor Quaker in Thetford, England. In his early life, he was surrounded mostly by farmers and the uneducated. He left school at the age of twelve, and shortly after became apprenticed to his father as a corset maker. This trade was to follow him throughout his days in England as his 'something to fall back on' while exploring various career options. After several years and failed ventures, Paine …showed first 75 words of 1579 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1579 total…Paine discovered that his contributions to the American Revolution had been all but eradicated due to his religious views. Derided by the public and abandoned by his friends, he died on June 8, 1809 at the age of 72 in New York City. Works Cited: Kaye, Harvey J. Thomas Paine: Firebrand. Oxford University Press, 2000 McCartin, Brian. Thomas Paine Common Sense and Revolutionary Pamphleteering. Rosen Publishing, New York, 2002 Fruchtman, Jack. Thomas Paine: Apostle of Freedom. Four Walls, Eight Windows, 1994.