Patriot Echoes – Honoring 250 years of patriot wisdom.
- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (1794)
Introduction
Published in December 1794, The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine is a bold and controversial defense of deism and a scathing critique of organized religion. Written during Paine’s imprisonment in France, the work challenges the authority of the Bible, rejects miracles and revelation, and calls for a rational, natural religion grounded in the observation of the universe. Its accessible style and fearless tone made it a lightning rod in both Europe and America—praised by freethinkers and condemned by clergy. Paine’s aim was not to destroy belief in God, but to liberate it from superstition and priestcraft, asserting that “my own mind is my own church.”
Original Documents
- agereason00paingoog_djvu.txt (452.4 KB)
- agereason00paingoog.pdf (5697.4 KB)