by Isaac Burgdorf | Jan 15, 2026 | Books, Collections, Exhibits, Featured
Fifteen years after the publication of Common Sense, Paine published the first part of his Rights of Man, a defense of the French Revolution. Rights of Man celebrated the French Revolution as heralding a new dawn of liberty and reason, and critiqued Edmund Burke’s 1790 Reflections on the Revolution in France, which had criticized the French revolutionaries, defended traditional, established political norms and institutions, and endorsed gradual reform over wholescale political change.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Jan 15, 2026 | Books, Collections, Exhibits, Featured
This page offers a snapshot of the reactions and responses to Common Sense, and Paine more generally, that make clear how much controversy he and his work aroused. Both visually and textually, Paine was lionized and vilified as he became an icon synonymous with the ideas he advocated for.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Jan 15, 2026 | Books, Collections, Exhibits, Featured
In 2026, “going viral” refers to a piece of content spreading rapidly across the Internet and into common parlance, becoming a widespread sensation or defining a cultural moment. In 1776, Common Sense did just that – without the Internet.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Jan 15, 2026 | Books, Collections, Exhibits, Featured
The William L. Clements Library holds 58 editions of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: Addressed to the Inhabitants of America. Upon the 250th anniversary of its January 1776 publication, one might ask: Why so many?
by Isaac Burgdorf | Oct 13, 2025 | Collections, Exhibits, Featured, Graphics, News
Earlier this month, the Clements Library opened our new exhibit, For All Ages, highlighting familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history. Many were not only fun, but also taught practical skills and moral lessons.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Oct 1, 2025 | Collections, Exhibits, Graphics
The exhibition For All Ages, on view October 3-December 23, highlights familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Oct 1, 2025 | Collections, Exhibits, Graphics
The exhibition For All Ages, on view October 3-December 23, highlights familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Oct 1, 2025 | Collections, Exhibits, Graphics
The exhibition For All Ages, on view October 3-December 23, highlights familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history.
by Isaac Burgdorf | Oct 1, 2025 | Collections, Exhibits, Graphics
The exhibition For All Ages, on view October 3-December 23, highlights familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history.
