Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man, 7th Edition

Following the American Revolution, Thomas Paine became a strong supporter of the French Revolution that began in 1789. In 1790, Edmund Burke, a member of Parliament, published Reflections on the Revolution in France. In this pamphlet, Burke lamented that the French Revolution was destroying the fabric of society and good, traditional institutions. Paine’s Rights of Man challenged Burke’s views and argued that a government should not rule but protect its citizens’ rights.

Gift of Compatriot Stan Harrell, Florida Society