Thomas Paine was the writer of Common Sense. This book influenced many others and allowed others to see his ideas. He was an inventor and a journalist. He was born on Janurary 29, 1737 in Thetford, United Kingdom and died on June 8, 1737 in New York City, New York. When Thomas Paine was younger, he didn't receive a lot of formal education, but he atleast knew how to read and write. He had tried many job, but they didn't work out too well with him. He had a tough life, and to add to that, his wife and child both died during childbirth around 1760. Later on in his life, he met Benjamin Franklin, who helped him move to America. He wrote many articles, including Common Sense.