Strike A Resounding Chord in 2026! Thomas Paine, Common Sense...

Strike a Resounding Chord in 2026! Thomas Paine, Common Sense in Philadelphia

Wednesday, 1/14/26

7:00-8:30pm

Winsor Room

Radnor Memorial Library and Radnor Historical Society

Common Sense by Thomas Paine:  On January 9, 1776, the most important pamphlet in American history was first published in Philadelphia by the printer Robert Bell. The work became an immediate success, spreading rapidly throughout the Thirteen Colonies and played a significant role in swaying public opinion toward independence from Great Britain. Paine made a forceful case for separation from England when many Americans considered such a move foolish and fatal.

Join RHS member and local historian Jim Segrave-Daly (thelocalhistorygeek.com) for a lively discussion of Paine's revolutionary contribution.

We’ll have a big birthday cake in celebration of Paine’s birthday (in January) and the “Semiquincentennial”-- America’s 250th Anniversary. 

Common Sense is still a symbol of the American spirit at the time of the Revolution–and beyond. 

We’ll shine a spotlight on Thomas Paine’s often over-looked role as Founding Father and abolitionist. A letter was written by Paine, in which he adopted the persona of an enslaved person, addressing none other than Thomas Jefferson. This poignant letter serves as a powerful testament to Paine’s deep moral convictions and his impassioned plea for the eradication of slavery. And it could not be more fitting as we look forward to Black History Month!

There is no registration, just come!