Thomas Paine Papers, American Philosophical Society

An important 18th century radical republican theorist and political writer, Thomas Paine was a leading figure in the American Revolution. Despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal education, his reasoned and persuasive writings not only influenced nascent American republican ideology, but profoundly affected the perception of government in England and France as well. His three most influential works are Common Sense (1776), The Rights of Man (1791-1792), and The Age of Reason (1794, 1795, 1807).

The Richard Gimbel Collection is a heterogeneous mix of items connected only by the fact that they were all collected by Gimbel (1898-1970) and that most were written by, to, or about the revolutionary Paine. Of primary importance are the approximately sixty-five letters or manuscripts in Paine's own hand, including Paine's 1776 manuscript notes for Common Sense, his letter of January 10, 1781, in which he takes leave of his former commanding officer, Nathanael Greene, and his January 6, 1789 letter to Kitty Nicholson Few, in which he writes of his view of matrimony and other personal matters. The collection includes a series of correspondence between Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams, which were originally marked "forgeries," these appear instead simply to be the letters of two men bearing famous names.

Background note

Thomas Paine, portrait by Winkler, 1865

Thomas Paine was one of the foremost political philosophers of the 18th century. His ideas influenced the courses of both the American Revolution and the French Revolution and are still of significance today. His tragic life was partly the result of his status as a man far ahead of his time.

Paine was born January 29, 1737 in Thetford, Norfolk, England, to a Quaker corset-maker and his Anglican.wife. He remained in poverty throughout his life. He was married twice: to Mary Lambert in 1759 (she died within a year), and to Elizabeth Olive in 1771 (they separated in 1774). A hint of the course his life would later take came in 1772, when he was fired from his job as an excise officer for publishing a document advocating higher wages as a method for curtailing corruption in government service.

Paine became acquainted with Benjamin Franklin while in London. Franklin was impressed by Paine's mind and may have seen something of himself in the younger man. Both came from humble origins and were largely self-educated, but showed a broad intellectual understanding and a passionate engagement in life. Paine immigrated to Philadelphia in 1774, armed with letters of introduction from Franklin. He became an editor at the Pennsylvania Magazine and began to anonymously publish his own essays and poetry. One of his earliest pieces was "African Slavery in America" (1775), one of the first and most influential abolitionist writings in America.

His great tour de force was the 50-page pamphlet Common Sense, which was published anonymously on January 10, 1776. It sold more than 500,000 copies in a few months. Its central thesis, that common sense dictates that the colonies derive no benefit from their association with Great Britain and therefore should become independent, helped to fan the flames of revolution that led to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence six months later. Between 1776 and 1783 he issued a series of pamphlets under the title The American Crisis. General George Washington ordered Paine's works (which included the famous line, "These are the times that try men's souls") to be read to the flagging American troops as an inspiration to presevere in their cause. Paine served briefly in the colonial army under the command of General Nathanael Greene. In 1777, he was appointed secretary of the Committee of Foreign Affairs by the Second Continental Congress. He lost that position in 1779 due to political disputes, but later became the clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1785, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

Financial and political difficulties led Paine to return to England in 1787. There he published his Rights of Man in two parts, in 1791 and 1792. This eloquent refutation of Edmund Burke's critical Reflections Upon the French Revolution sold a million and a half copies before it was supressed. Paine's stance against monarchy and for a republican form of government caused him to be tried for treason by the British government in 1792. Already on his way to France when the order for his arrest was issued, Paine still managed to remain embroiled in controversy. He took his seat in the French National Convention, but offended Robespierre by favoring exile, rather than execution, for King Louis XVI. He was imprisoned from December 1793 to November 1794, during which time Part I of his The Age of Reason was published. Part II was published in 1795, and part of Part III in 1807. In this work he severely criticized organized religion, but his words were widely misinterpreted as a defense of atheism. He lost many friends as a result.

In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson helped him return to the United States, and he went to live on his farm in New Rochelle, NY. Instead of being remembered for his contributions to the revolution, Paine found he was feared for his radical ideas and infamous as the world's greatest infidel. His final days were marred by poverty, poor health, and enmity. He died on June 8, 1809 in New York City and was buried on his farm after sacred ground was refused. Ten years later, journalist William Cobbett disinterned his remains and brought them to England with the intention of building a proper monument to this great thinker. The curse of Paine's unhappy life followed him even after death, as Cobbett's vision was never realized and Paine's remains were lost.

Scope and content

This eclectic collection was assembled by Richard Gimbel, whose extensive printed collection on Paine is also at the APS (see guidebook cited in "References" below). The manuscripts collection includes approximately sixty-three letters and documents written by Paine, as well as items written to him or related to him. They center on his life in America after 1774 and his years in England and France after 1781. There is much discussion of political matters (American, English, and French), references to his interest in iron bridges, and comments on his writings as well as his personal life (see his letter to Kitty Few). Significant correspondents include John Bayard, Edmund Burke, De Witt Clinton, Kitty Nicholson Few, Abiel Foster, Nathanael Greene, John Hall, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Laurens, James Madison, Thomas Mifflin, James Monroe, Robert Morris, David Rittenhouse, George Washington, and Benjamin West. Correspondence not directly linked to Paine include letters by Moncure D. Conway and Thomas A. Edison. There are also some accounts, receipts, and verses by Paine (one poem concerns General Wolfe), and other writings, such as fragments of his 1776 outline for Common Sense.

Also included in the collection are approximately sixty-five contemporary documents relating to Paine and many miscellaneous items assembled by Gimbel. These include: an interesting series of letters of William Cobbett concerning politics and personal matters (ca. 1798-1834), with a manuscript of his address before 30,000 Irish concerning British-Irish relations, 18 September 1834; a James Monroe letter of 1 November 1794 written to the French Committee of Public Safety on behalf of the imprisoned Paine; and an anonymous manuscript (ca. 1796) replying to Paine's Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance. Twenty-nine manuscript items pulled from Colonel Gimbel's book collection include: a series of letters to Archibald McIntire, et al. concerning New York State lotteries (ca. 1806-1821); numerous writings of one Grant Thornburn, including his, "Reminiscences of New York in 1794," and a historical account of the first use of slate roofs and slate nails in America (New York City, 1794). There is also a small group of documents (ca. 1779-1806) relating to the Bridge Company of Philadelphia, which was set up to erect a permanent bridge over the Schuylkill River (the officers of the company were: Thomas P. Cope, Henry Drinker, and Thomas Parke).

The balance of the collection is a series of twenty-four letters (1775-1793) from Thomas Paine of Eastham and Mount Desert Island to Dr. Samuel Adams. Originally marked "forgeries," these appear instead simply to be the letters of two men bearing famous names.

The collection is divided into two series: Series I Paine Material which contains the correspondence to and from Thomas Paine, as well as manuscripts written by him; and Series II MiscellaneousMaterial which is comprised of the material written about Paine. Series II also contains the Samuel Adams correspondence. Both series are arranged chronologically

Administrative information

Restrictions

None.

Provenance

Bequest of Col. Richard Gimbel, 1971.

Preferred citation

Cite as: Col. Richard Gimbel Collection of Thomas Paine Papers, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Recatalogued by Alison M. Lewis, 2001.

Other finding aids

Stephans, Hildegard, compiler, The Thomas Paine Collection of Richard Gimbel in the Library of the American Philosophical Society. Scholarly Resources, 1976. Call no.: 012 P16a

Additional information

Related material

The Printed Materials Department of the APS Library includes numerous copies of all of Paine's major titles, most of his minor titles, and dozens of newspapers and other works inspired by Paine and his political philosophy. This collection includes everything from first printings of first editions to miscellaneous later editions, foreign language editions, and works on Paine. For further information on Paine's published writings held by the APS, please consult the work cited below.

The Library also houses an extensive collection of political cartoons relating to Painite radicalism and the conservative response. Dating primarily from the period 1792-1805, and printed mostly in England, these include satirical prints by Gilray and Sayre, among many others.