Thomas Paine was an English-born American Founding Father, inventor, political philosopher, and statesman. Born in Thetford, Norfolk in 1737, he became one of the most influential voices of the American Revolution. Paine is best known for authoring Common Sense, published in 1776, and The American Crisis, a series of pamphlets written between 1776 and 1783. These works were among the most influential publications at the start of the American Revolution, helping to inspire colonial patriots to declare independence from Great Britain. His writing reflected Enlightenment-era ideals of human rights and resonated widely with the American public. Paine died in Greenwich Village, Manhattan in 1809.