Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

This is a non-fiction book about a man named Thomas Paine, who traveled to America and spoke out about America’s need for independence from Great Britain. He wrote a famous pamphlet called “Common Sense.” It caused people throughout the thirteen colonies to truly think about whether they wanted to still be a part of Great Britain.

As a young man, Thomas Paine was expected to be a corset maker, like his father was before him. But Thomas did not want to make women’s underclothes; he was more interested in education and traveling the world. After a chance meeting with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas left with a letter of recommendation from Franklin, traveling on a ship to America. Thomas almost died from a deadly fever during his transit. Thankfully, he recuperated and started to write.

His ideas seemed inflammatory to people. But his “dangerous” thoughts about independence turned into powerful words. This is the story of how one man, with words, started the American Revolution. I would recommend this book to people who are studying the American Revolution or who are interested in learning about people who contributed to America’s independence.