Did Benjamin Franklin make Thomas Paine Successful?

Thomas Paine was born 1737, in England where he lived with his father.  Around the age of nineteen Paine started to become rebellious and made him an outcast of England. Paine was an outcast and he stood up for what he felt was right, that caught the attention of Benjamin Franklin while the both were in London. Being impressed by the ideas that Paine expressed Franklin called him an “ingenious worthy young man,”http://www.clio.k12.mi.us/user/rmclinch/chpt6ThomasPaineHistMakers.pdf and felt the need that he should come to America. Coming to America Paine was in good hands and was able to pick up a job at Pennsylvania Magazine with the help of Benjamin Franklin writing letters to numerous people.  Writing in the Pennsylvania Magazine jump started his career as being one of the most influential journalists in America.  Paine would go on to write about issues that were being faced at that point and time.  In writing one of his influential pieces, “Common Sense,” caught the attention of General George Washington.  George Washington felt as though Thomas Paine’s article is, “working a powerful change in the minds of many men.” http://www.clio.k12.mi.us/user/rmclinch/chpt6ThomasPaineHistMakers.pdf In reading just that quote, it entails that Paine is making a difference in the army and America as a whole in a positive way.  Not only did George Washington feel the need that it was good for himself, but he wanted all of his soldiers to hear what Paine had to say in his pamphlet out loud.

As you can see if it was not for Benjamin Franklin where would Thomas Paine be today in history or would he still have been in the public eye for his rebelliousness? By reading the article, Benjamin Franklin was the one that started Paine’s career by meeting him in London. Discovering his uncanny since of intelligence, Paine stood out from others that Franklin might have seen or heard of before. Bringing him from England to America, it shows the Franklin had a part of Paine being successful and becoming one of the Four Fathers in our time.