1.  The radical propagandist and voice of
the common man.
 Paine was convinced that the
American Revolution was a crusade
for a superior political system and
that America was ultimately
unconquerable.
 His achievements were all with his
pen so it is difficult to accurately
assess his influence. Although he
spent more than ten years in France,
he had very little influence on the
course of the French Revolution

2.  Rights of Man was his greatest political
work and was certainly the best-
selling radical political tract in late
18th century England.
 Common Sense, which immediately
established his reputation as a
revolutionary writer.
 Paine argued rationally that all men
had an equal claim to political rights
and that government must rest on the
ultimate sovereignty of the people.