Similarities Between Benjamin Franklin And Thomas Paine

The enlightenment is the period of knowledge, increase in deism, scientific advancements, belief in progress, equality. The enlightenment is from the mid-decade of the seventeenth century thought the eighteenth century. It was emphasized reason and individualism rather than tradition. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine were notable enlightenment thinkers for many reasons. Franklin was a scientist and philosopher. He supported natural rights and freedom. One of his works is poor Richard's almanack about him making himself successful in life. Thomas Paine represents the enlightenment because he challenged the authority and wanted the colonists to fight for independence. He wrote common sense during the american revolution. Common sense

He was born on January 29, 1737 in England. Paine, was a poorly educated son of a corset maker. He spent the first thirty-seven years drifting though occupations - grocer, tobacconist, corset maker, school teacher, and tax collector. 1774 he was dismissed from his job as a tax collector because he attempted to organize the employees in demand for higher wages. He was a persuasive writer. Thomas Paine joined the continental army in 1776. He traveled with the army , began to write series of sixteen pamphlets that were called, The American Crisis. He urged americans not to give up the fight and fight on for freedom from England . In The Crisis, NO. 1 Paine states , " I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world , that america will never be happy, till she gets clear of foreign dominion" ( Paine 91). Paine feels that americans most get rid of foreign dominion to be happy. The enlightenment thinker felt that everyone should have natural rights to freedom. On January 1776, he published the most important work that was supported for American independence: common sense was a forty- seven page pamphlet. He lived peacefully in New Jersey and New York until 1787. Also in 1791, he began to create the rights of man, which is an impassioned defense of the republican government and call to the English people to overthrow their king. He was arrested and put behind bars In Paris, then released in 1794. He want allowed to vote,