1
Mughals Merchants Marauders & Henry Every's Pirate Heist of the Century
2:14:59
2
Slaver Kings, Amazon Queens and the Brazilian Spartacus: The African Kingdom of Kongo
1:45:31
3
Margaret Thatcher: The Life and Times of the Woman Who Wouldn't Be Turned
2:15:44
4
Voltaire: The Rascal Philosopher
2:10:58
5
Amundsen: Quiet Conqueror of the World's Polar Regions
1:47:23
6
Codfish Heroes: Vikings, Basques and the Fishermen Who Changed the World
1:41:58
7
The Irish Problem, Fenian Rebels and the Catalpa Rescue
1:34:58
8
Joan of Arc: The Girl who Crowned a King and Saved a Nation
1:35:55
9
The Incredible Story of the Magellan-Elcano Circumnavigation 1519-1522
1:43:36
Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Father of Western Democracy
1:26:37
11
Brutus: Liberator of Rome or Traitor to Caesar?
1:12:48
12
Bartolomeo de las Casas: the Conscience of Renaissance Europe
49:54
13
Pemulwuy: The Aboriginal Warrior Who Almost Broke the British
45:41
14
James Cook: The Incredible True Story of the World's Greatest Navigator and Cartographer
1:20:28
15
Shakespeare: The Genius We Never Knew
1:10:42
16
Admiral Robert FitzRoy: The Troubled Genius who made Charles Darwin
52:04
17
An Ordinary Bloke: Old School Toughness and Character of Albert Facey
48:29
18
Prince Philip: Unlikely Stoic Role Model in a time of Woke
32:12
19
Napoleon Bonaparte: Despot or Enlightenment Hero?
1:03:12
20
Perfect Medieval Storm: Jan Hus- the reformer who inspired Martin Luther
47:37
21
Jose de San Martin: the Quiet Liberator (Part 2)
1:15:11
22
March 26, 2024
50:19
23
The 12 Labours of Hercules
38:35
24
Knights of St John and the Great Siege of Malta 1565
52:35
25
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell
3:17:31

Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Father of Western Democracy

2 months ago
31

Thomas Paine was a plain talking, big thinking common man - self educated in matters of science, philosophy, activism and political theory. His pamphlets and books inspired ordinary people throughout the colonies of America to stand up for their rights and throw off the yoke of British domination. Soon after, these books were smuggled into France, where they inspired the Third Estate to agitate for the guarantee of their natural rights. Eventually, this grass roots activism would lead to the overthrow of the French Monarchy in the French Revolution, where Paine would be granted honorary citizenship, a seat in its parliament and a voice in the drafting of the French Republic's constitution. He would eventually go on to write on many issues of social justice, including abolition, universal suffrage, aged care, education, welfare, healthcare and anti-corruption in government. This occasionally made him a target of powerful people, and despite his heroic status, he was eventually marginalised and forgotten. Overshadowed by the major players who used his tireless campaigning to their advantage, Paine died in obscurity and poverty, having transformed the landscape of democracy across three continents, and was the source of many of our greatest achievements in civil discourse and progress over the last 250 years.
#thomaspaine, #americanhero, #democracy, #frenchrevolution, #documentary

All film sources used in this montage remain the property of their respected creators, and are gratefully acknowledged in the end credits.

If you enjoy my content, leave your suggestions and comments below, and please consider making a donation via PayPal or sign up as a Patreon supporter to help me continue making these unfunded educational videos:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4D958V58PAVDU
https://www.patreon.com/heroesandlegends
https://buymeacoffee.com/infoQh

Or visit my Heroes and Legends website: https://heroesandlegends.com.au

ERRATA / CORRIGENDA:
Please see below for any errors picked up by viewers post production:

1. Washington crossed the Delaware River, not the Potomac on Christmas night 1776.
2. At about 1:06:00 I write that Paine was against the execution of Louis XIV. It should have been Louis XVI.
3. Thomas Paine's cottage in New Rochelle is in New York, not New Jersey

For downloads of his major works, please visit the resources section on the Heroes and Legends Website at www.heroesandlegends.com.au

(All rights to the providers of the documents).

For resources, links to my other videos, merchandise, the latest social media posts and podcast links, please visit my Heroes and Legends Website: www.heroesandlegends.com.au

Loading comments...