Anne Bradstreet, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine

Involvement In Drafting the United States Declaration of Independence

Committee of Five working draft of the Declaration of Independence, dated June 24, 1776, copied from the original draft by John Adams for Roger Sherman's review and approval.

Inscription on reverse of Sherman Copy of the Declaration of Independence referencing Thomas Paine during the drafting process.
During the early deliberations of the Committee of Five members chosen by Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence, John Adams made a hastily written manuscript copy of the original draft of the Declaration of Independence on June 24, 1776, known as the Sherman Copy. Adams made this copy shortly before preparing another neater, fair copy that is held in the Adams Family Papers collection at the Massachusetts Historical Society. The Sherman copy of The Declaration of Independence is one of several working drafts of the Declaration, made for Roger Sherman’s review and approval before the Committee of Five submitted a finalized draft to Congress. The Sherman Copy of the Declaration of Independence contains an inscription on the back of the document that states: “A beginning perhaps-Original with Jefferson-Copied from Original with T.P.’s permission.” According to the Thomas Paine National Historical Association, the individual referenced as “T.P.” in the inscription appears to be Thomas Paine. Scholars of Early American History have long suspected Thomas Paine's involvement in drafting the Declaration of Independence, which is supported by the inscription on the Sherman Copy draft.^[45]
The degree to which Paine was involved in formulating the text of the Declaration is unclear, as the original draft referenced in the Sherman Copy inscription is presumed lost or destroyed. However, John Adams' request for Thomas Paine's permission to copy the original draft suggests that Paine had a significant role either assisting Jefferson with organizing ideas within the Declaration, or contributing to the text of the original draft itself.

The American Crisis (1776)

In late 1776, Paine published The American Crisis pamphlet series to inspire the Americans in their battles against the British army. He juxtaposed the conflict between the good American devoted to civic virtue and the selfish provincial man.^[46] To inspire his soldiers, General George Washington had The American Crisis, first Crisis pamphlet, read aloud to them.^[47] It begins:
These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.