Thomas Paine was a recent immigrant from England when the Revolutionary War erupted. In the final months of 1775, he wrote Common Sense, the most influential pamphlet of the era, one that convinced reluctant Americans to declare independence from Britain. Paine then volunteered with the Pennsylvania militia and marched to war as a private. He transferred to the Continental Army and accompanied George Washington’s army on their harrowing retreat across New Jersey during November and December of 1776. 

Jack Kelly will talk about Paine’s enormous influence on the early Revolution. He will track Paine through the suspenseful military campaign that culminated in Washington’s daring counterattack across the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776. And he will explain how Paine contributed to the army’s success with the stirring rallying that began, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

---

Register

Presenter Bio:
Jack Kelly is an award-winning author and historian. His books include Band of Giants, which received the DAR History Medal, and God Save Benedict Arnold, a Finalist for the New England Book Awards. He has also published five novels, and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature. Kelly has appeared on The History Channel, National Public Radio, and C-Span. He lives in Milan, NY.