Thomas Paine's (APS 1785) Words of Wisdom
June 30, 2026
Category / Department
“The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”
Thomas Paine (1737-1809), a philosopher and statesman, is best known for the publication of Common Sense in 1776, a galvanizing text of the American Revolution. Given a platform to spread his writings by his printing mentor Benjamin Franklin, he was recognized and remembered as one of the most influential minds of the Revolution.
