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In Thetford, Nolfolk, England, Thomas Paine was born. His mother was Anglican and his father was a Quaker. He was poor his whole life. When he was thirteen years old, he started working with his father. When he was nineteen, he went out to sea. Paine returned to England and went through many jobs, finally becoming an excise officer, where he would collect taxes from smugglers he tracked down. He was dismissed for writing a document that asked for more money in reducing means of government service. Paine’s first wife died, and later, he got divorced from his second wife. When Paine was in London, he met and became friends with Benjamin Franklin. In 1774, Paine took Franklin’s advice and with recommendation from Franklin, he immigrated to Philadelphia. “He became an editor on the Pennsylvania Magazine and also anonymously published writings, including poetry.” One of the articles