NEWTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY LOOKS AT THOMAS PAINE

The American Revolution was painful for many in many ways, but in a different twist on the word the Newtown Historical Society will examine “The Paine of Revolution,” a look at the life and work of Thomas Paine. Presented by Dan Wolinsky, the program will take place February 8, 7.30PM, in the community room of the Booth Library, 25 Main Street (route 25) in the town’s center.

Tom Paine was a pivotal figure in the Revolution. Even John Adams, who intensely disliked Paine on a personal level, admitted that independence would not have been won without the inspiring and stirring words from his pen. “Sunshine patriots and summer soldiers” had no place in the effort; only the steadfast and dedicated could weather the “winter of discontent.” Common Sense was Paine’s most famous work, justifying the Revolution intellectually and exhorting its believers emotionally; the piece sold throughout the colonies within weeks in the hundreds of thousands, by far the best seller in our early literary history.

Thomas Paine was born to poverty in England, and as he put it, “I brought a knowledge of England with me to America.” In spite of his poverty, he had developed a keen appreciation of ideals of the Enlightenment, and chose Philadelphia as his American landing place largely because of the presence of Benjamin Franklin. Once there, he found his background gave him credence among the workers and artisans of the city, while his intellect and power with words earned him the respect of the leaders of the revolutionary movement. After the Revolution, his reputation was increasingly tarnished with accusations of radicalism and atheism. According to his biographer Eric Foner, this darkening picture of Paine went so far as to leave him out of the canon of the Founding Fathers, but in those long and hard days of struggle he well deserved the place of a hero of the Revolution.

Dan Wolinsky is a former college professor in the accounting field, and has written several publications in business and finance. His life-long avocation has been American history, and he has presented programs many times in the area, including several appearances for the Newtown Historical Society. He has also been a volunteer at Weir Farm, Keeler Tavern, Danbury Historical Society, and the Housatonic Tourist Bureau, and has himself served as president of several local groups. He is also a founder of the Danbury Learning Exchange, which will soon start a new season of public programs on a variety of topics; see the website, www.tle-danbury.org for details.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation. Please call the Society at 203-426-5937 for further information.