Guest Biography,
Brian McCartin, Director of a National Historical Association

Brian McCartin has over twenty years of educational and administrative experience. As Director of a National Historical Association, he supervises the efforts of various committees with a special emphasis on Educational Programming, Community Relations, Public Relations and Fundraising. His philosophy focuses on empowering individuals through strategies that encourage and engage them. Mr. McCartin has worked at New York University as Associate Director of Reentry Programs for the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and Monroe College as Director of the Evening Division. At Monroe College, he served on the adjunct faculty and provided instruction in various social sciences with an emphasis in American History and Western Civilization.

Meeting Transcript

Club Leader: Thank you for joining us. Mr. McCartin is ready to start the book club meeting. Can you tell us a little bit about Thomas Paine?

Brian McCartin: He was the bestselling author of the 18th century and most influential political figure of the time. Thomas Paine came over to America in 1774 at the behest of Ben Franklin. He wrote Common Sense in 1776 which began the American Revolution.

Club Leader: How did he know Ben Franklin?

Brian McCartin: He most probably met him attending lectures at London's Royal Society the center of scientific and philosophical inquiries during the 18th century.

Club Leader: Why did Ben Franklin want Thomas Paine to come to the US?

Brian McCartin: He knew he saw genius and wanted him to help America become what he thought it could become.

georic in Falls Church, VA asks: What accounts for the lack of distinction and success in the first half of Paine's life? Were there any health or, familial, or economic factors that kept him from achieving greatness during this period?

Brian McCartin: He was finding himself while he simultaneously was self-educating himself and getting involved in the political and social issues of the day. He held various jobs while doing this until he found his passion and talent in writing to free mankind

fredw in Bethesda, MD asks: Portraits of Tom Paine all seem to have him leaning forward, as if he had a bad back. Was there something unusual about his posture, or did this image of him take on a life of its own?

Brian McCartin: I would think that posing was at the request of the portrait artist. Paine was of the working class and quite athletic and strong.

Quaker in Newport Beach, CA asks: With little education, Paine wrote beautifully. Today's students are offered fine (& free!) educational opportunities yet cannot construct a sentence. Do you know how well-spoken were Paine's parents?

Brian McCartin: Paine had to educate himself-he only went to the 7th grade. His parents were literate but as I said Paine had to study quite a bit by himself and forced himself to be able to write as well as he did.

lostinspace in Montgomery, AL asks: What writers and philosophers had the most influence on Thomas Paine?

Brian McCartin: His early influences were the Whig opposition leaders in England in the early part of the 18th century like Gordon and Trenchard. But he was quite familiar with Voltaire and Montesquieu as well as Rousseau and to a certain degree with Locke and Hume although he didn't agree with them.

JohnsonA@KnoxNet.net of Wataga, IL asks: Did Paine & Rousseau ever meet? Did Paine influence Rousseau or did Rousseau influence Paine? Did Paine meet any other writers of the European Enlightenment?

Brian McCartin: The answer to the first two questions are no. Although they both had an attraction to what was known as primitivism. Paine met and knew many of the enlightenment political leaders and artists of his time.

Scarlett54 in Chicago, IL asks: Why didn't Thomas Paine remain in the States to bring about reforms he thought were so important?

Brian McCartin: By 1787, Paine was being marginalized by the new elite in Congress who were still bitter towards him over his exposure of government corruption in the Silas Deane affair. He also was intent on getting a patent for his bridge in Europe.

kylehence in Newport, RI asks: Can we have a imaginative discussion about what Paine might write today?

Brian McCartin: He would continue to write on behalf of the dispossessed and disenfranchised and probably continue to make himself a dangerous person to those who do not want justice and liberty for all.

Club Leader: He wrote Common Sense (1776) The Age of Reason (1794, 1796)? What are these works about? How do you think these works have an impact on us now?

Brian McCartin: Paine wrote the Age of Reason in direct response to the dechristianization of France by the leaders of the Reign of Terror. He wanted to make religion accessible and democratic to all. In response to your second question they still provide the framework for a humanity based religion that promotes morality and justice.

georic in Falls Church, VA asks: I've heard there is a 3rd part of The Age of Reason. Why is it not as readily available as the first 2 parts? Is it available for purchase?

Brian McCartin: Much of this third part was lost as was much of his autobiography after his death. Although the message is the same, simply put do justice, show mercy and endeavor to make our fellow creatures happy.

lostinspace in Montgomery, AL asks: Do you believe Paine's religious beliefs have kept him from getting the recognition many feel he deserves?

Brian McCartin: When Paine came back to America in 1802, the country was going through the 2nd great awakening a protestant led evangelical movement that regarded Paine as a threat to their status. Therefore they attacked him at the pulpit and conspired with his political enemies to degrade and marginalize him in our history.

Club Leader: What religion did Thomas Paine practice? How did his belief of religion impact his writings?

Brian McCartin: He helped begin a type of religion known as theophilanthropism which basically means a lover of mankind. Above all he wanted strong moral committment to better the lot of the common masses.

otkuna in Ocean Township, NJ asks: Would you explore Thomas Paine's influence on other countries. I have read Tom had incredible influences in other countries and especially the central Americas.

Brian McCartin: He was involved not only in the American Revolution, French revolution and symbolic leader of the working class revolution in England, but was also friendly with and influential on the Irish rebellion of 1798, the revolutions in Poland, Hungary, South America and all democratic revolutions during the 19th and 20th centuries.

kylehence in Newport, RI asks: On Paine today: who would take the place of the 'monarchy'? What would he say about corporate power?

Brian McCartin: He believed in the sovereignty of the people as well. He also tried to begin a political democracy as well as an economic one.

bbpickett in north Salem, NY asks: Is the Howard Fast novel, Citizen Tom Paine, factually accurate?

Brian McCartin: Not really, its more narrative than factual evidence.His own opinion of Paine is being portrayed.

Enormis in Dannemora, NY asks: Did Paine ever confront or debate publicly with Hamilton and what was his attitude toward Burr considering the animus between Burr and Jefferson?

Brian McCartin: No to the first question and he was friends with Burr before his falling out with Jefferson. But initially they were both democratic republicans.

PHSTeacher in Maryland Heights, MO asks: As a high school social studies teacher, what are the most important three things I should teach about T. P.?

Brian McCartin: 1) Common Sense begins the American Revolution. The war of independence began on April 19,1775 at Lexington. 2)His revolutionary call for the end of monarchy and the replacement with a democratic-republic. 3)His linkage of liberty with equality- much different than British liberty. He called for American liberty.

flonandrick in Mexico asks: I am a member of the only DAR chapter named after Thomas Paine. We are a new chapter, and we are located in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, south of Guadalajara. How could our chapter join the Thomas Paine Association?

Brian McCartin: Please contact us at www.thomas-paine.com/tpnha or call (914) 632-5376 or (914) 636-1995. Congratulations on your perceptive selection of a name that is symbolic of freedom and justice around the world.

otkuna in Ocean Township, NJ asks: Since Paine did not proscribe to the current idea of 'god' of his times (The biblical protestant fearful idea of 'god'), is not Tom Paine the prototype of how we treat freethinkers?

Brian McCartin: He became the symbolic leader ot the free thought movement in the US and freethinkers such as Robert Ingersoll and Thomas Edison and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Nacogdoches, TX asks: A caller just referred to Thomas Paine as a liberal. Would he have been considered a liberal?????

Bandit in Naples, FL asks: How can Thomas Paine be called a liberal by today's standards when we believed in limited government and giving power to the people?

Brian McCartin: The 18th century term liberalism really reflects the age and idea of the freeing of humanity from the shackles of tyranny and oppression wherever and whatever shape they take.

stanlenox in Nacogdoches, TX asks: Clint Bolick (on -air guest) just answered my question - says Thomas Paine was a Libertarian. Do you agree???

Brian McCartin: No, No, No. Paine would disavow any allegiance to any political faction that did not approve of public education and social security.

member asks: I am just joining you so you may have answered this question, but what I want to know is did other writers try to copy Thomas Paine's writing style after the American Revolutionary War?

Brian McCartin: Paine became the mentor to all republican thinkers of his time including Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. But no one could copy nor imitate his transformative style of writing.

lostinspace in Montgomery, AL asks: Originally, the vote in America was restricted to white males who owned land; Did Paine ever comment on this?

Brian McCartin: In the debates over the PA. constitution, Paine advocated sufferage for all white males over 21.

Club Leader: What were his views of women and their role in society?

Brian McCartin: In August of 1775, Paine wrote on behalf of women in an essay in which he stated that women have always been treated unfairly by men throughout history.

YNOTTHINK in EL DORADO, KS asks: ARE COPIES OF COMMON SENSE STILL BEING PRINTED?

Club Leader: Yes - you can purchase copies of the work in the Community Bookstore in the Online Book Club. You can purchase works for the entire series online from Borders Books. Please feel free to go to the online community bookstore.

michellerm in Buford, GA asks: Shouldn't we stay away from stereotypes and labels, and focus on specific ideas and concepts that great men like Tom Paine brought to our nation? Do you think Paine's writings were also significant because of their timeliness in American history?

Brian McCartin:Paine's principles transcends labels,politics and help give Americans a sense of who they are and what we can be.

jrar in NYC, NY asks: did Paine know Patrick Henry or have any exchange with him?

Brian McCartin: Staying in Philly he saw most rebel leaders.

B.C. in Tampa, FL asks: I heard earlier that Paine was a Jeffersonian (ostensibly meaning a states right's belief). Given that he and TJ were in Paris at the same time, did Paine ever write about Jefferson, as a slave owner?

Brian McCartin: He spent a great deal of time trying persuade Jefferson to give up his slaves.

Searcher in Grant, MI asks: In your opinion, why has our educational system abandoned the ideals that were espoused by Paine, Jefferson and others?

Brian McCartin: The educational system in America is archaic and needs to be transformed.

stanlenox in Nacogdoches, TX asks: Was Paine married. If so, did he have any children???

Brian McCartin: Yes, he was married twice but had no children.

Ina in Warren, RI asks: Does everyone agree that Paine seemed pretty forward thinking in his views on slavery and women?

Brian McCartin: Yes, that is generally accepted.

otkuna in Ocean Township, NJ asks: Has anybody ever devised a litmus test for political and or economic ideas that measures mental enslavement, a sort of 'turing machine' for measuring tyranny?

Brian McCartin:I am not familiar with it.

PHSTeacher in Maryland Heights, MO asks: What has been done in France to commemorate Paine's efforts there?

Brian McCartin: A statute to Thomas Paine can be found at the Academy of Science in Paris.

kf in New York, NY asks: Has there ever been a proposal to have the site designated a National Historic Site in association with the National Park Service?

Brian McCartin: Yes. The cottage is a national landmark and the site is up for that designation in NY. We are hoping that eventually the historic site will be designated as a national memorial to the preeminent founder of the American Revolution.

stanlenox in Nacogdoches, TX asks: I think I heard on this morning's show that the museum was built in 1925. Can you verify that for me????

Brian McCartin: Yes, it was begun and supported with the help of Thomas Edison. We still have the ground breaking spade he used on display here at the museum.

Club Leader: You can learn more about Thomas Paine and the museum online. Please check out the C-SPAN American Writers website and you can continue the discussion with other members at the Thomas Paine Discussion in the Reading Room.

YNOTTHINK in EL DORADO, KS asks: I AM SO EXCITED TO LEARN THESE THINGS ABOUT A COMMON AMERICAN CITIZEN! I WISH THAT I'D KNOWN MORE ABOUT HIM ALL MY LIFE.., HOW INSPIRING. I CAN'T WAIT TO INTRODUCE HIM TO MY CHILDREN

Searcher in Grant, MI asks: Comment! Brian Thank you for your time and devotion to such a worthy exercise in learning.

rangermaj in Rochester, NY asks: Hi Brian Enjoyed C-SPAN program. Was great to see a friend on there, John Wright. I am a fellow reenactor, George Bray. Could you please send him my regards.

otkuna in Ocean Township, NJ asks: Thank You : )

rangermaj in Rochester, NY asks: Can you give the days and times that the cottage are open again?

Brian McCartin:Thomas Paine Museum 983 North Avenue New Rochelle NY We are open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5pm from April to October . You can reach us at (914) 632-5376 or www.thomas-paine.com/tpnha

Club Leader:Thank you so much for joining us. Please come back on Friday for the next book club discussion on Thomas Paine!