Thomas Paine: The Revolutionary Comedian

Thomas Paine was an English-born American activist, philosopher, and writer who played a crucial role in the American Revolution. But what most people don’t know about him is his comical side.

Paine was known for his witty jokes, sarcastic comments, and sharp tongue. He was a comedian at heart and often used humor to make his political points.

In 1776, Paine published his most famous work, Common Sense, which rallied Americans to support independence from Great Britain. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to write The American Crisis series, which he used to cheer up American troops during the difficult winter of 1776.

In one of his famous lines, Paine quipped, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” But he quickly added, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

Paine also had a knack for satire. In his pamphlet, The Age of Reason, he made fun of organized religion and challenged the authority of the Church. He wrote, “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”

Even in his personal life, Paine was something of a prankster. He once played a practical joke on his friend Benjamin Franklin, giving him an 18th-century version of the whoopee cushion. As Franklin sat down at a meeting of the Continental Congress, Paine discreetly let out a farting noise, sending the other delegates into fits of laughter.

Sadly, Paine’s humor wasn’t always appreciated. He fell out of favor with many Americans because of his controversial political views, and he spent his later years in poverty and obscurity.

But Thomas Paine’s legacy lives on, not just as a revolutionary thinker, but as a hilarious comedian who used his wit to make a difference. As he might have said himself, “I have a pun-dit for the revolution.”