"On 27 August 1765 he was discharged for neglect of duty by entering in his books examinations which had not been actually made
Rickman describes him as a strong Whig, and a member of a club which met at the White Hart. Paine was an eager and obstinate debater, and wrote humorous and political poems;
Paine went to London. G. L. Scott, according to Oldys, introduced him to Franklin, to whom he might also have become known through his scientific friends. Franklin gave him a letter, dated 30 September 1774, to Bache (Franklin's son-in-law), describing him as an 'ingenious, worthy young man,' and suggesting that he might be helped to employment as clerk, surveyor, or usher. Paine reached America on 30 November 1774, and obtained many friends at Philadelphia through Franklin's introduction. He became connected with Robert Aitkin, a bookseller in Philadelphia, who was anxious to start a magazine. The first number of this, the Pennsylvania Magazine or American Museum, appeared at the end of January 1775. Paine contributed from the first, and soon afterwards became editor, with a salary of £50 a year.
He wrote articles attacking slavery and complaining of the inferior position of women, and others showing his republican tendencies.
He made acquaintance with Dr. Rush, who had already written against slavery.
Common Sense--- Paine thus became famous. He was known to Jefferson, and is supposed by Mr. Conway to have written the suppressed clause against the slave trade in the Declaration of Independence.
In January 1779 Paine got into trouble. The French government had adopted the scheme suggested by Beaumarchais for supplying funds to the insurgents .. supplies were sent gratuitously by the French government. This was to reveal the secret which the French, although now the open allies of the Americans, desired to conceal. The French minister, Gérard, therefore appealed to congress, who were bound to confirm his statement that the alliance had not been preceded by a gratuitous supply.
On 2 November 1779 the Pennsylvania assembly appointed Paine their clerk, and in that capacity he wrote a preamble to the act for the abolition of slavery in the state, which was passed on 1 March 1780
Paine resigned his position as clerk at the end of the year, stating his intention to devote himself to a history of the revolution. He had also a scheme for going to England, where he imagined he could open the eyes of his countrymen to the folly of continuing the struggle by a pamphlet as effective as Common Sense. Congress now resolved to make an application to the French government for a loan, and entrusted the mission to Colonel Laurens, an aide-de-camp of Washington. Laurens took Paine as his secretary, Paine intending to make his expedition to England after completing the business. They sailed from Boston in February 1781, and had a favourable reception in France. Paine was persuaded to give up the English plan, and returned with Laurens in a French frigate, reaching Boston on 25 August 1781, with 2,500,000 livres in silver, besides military stores. Sixteen ox teams were sent with the money to Philadelphia. Washington was meanwhile advancing with Rochambeau upon Yorktown, and the surrender of Cornwallis ended the campaign. He had to obtain a loan from Rochambeau, which was repaid from the money brought by Laurens. Paine refers to this mission in his published Letter to Washington, 1796.
In the early part of 1790 Paine was in Paris, where he was entrusted by Lafayette with the key of the Bastille for transmission to Washington
Several prosecutions for publishing or circulating the Rights of Man followed in 1793, as the alarm in England became more intense. Paine was welcomed enthusiastically in France. On 26 August the title of French citizen had been conferred upon him and other celebrities by the national assembly
Paine was met by salutes and public addresses, and on 19 September reached Paris. He appeared that night at the national assembly. Frost reports next day that Paine was in good spirits, though 'rather fatigued by the kissing.' On 21 September the abolition of royalty was decreed"
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