The Sussex man who 'changed the world'

Thomas Paine, an English-born revolutionary thinker who lived in Lewes, East Sussex from 1768 to 1774, played a pivotal role in inspiring American independence through his influential pamphlet "Common Sense. " While working as an excise officer in Lewes, he became deeply involved in the town's already radical political culture, developing his argumentative skills at the Headstrong Club through frequent debates. His 40-page pamphlet challenged the legitimacy of monarchy and argued for human equality, spreading rapidly through the American colonies and helping to shift colonial sentiment away from loyalty to the British King.