The Thomas Paine Memorial Association (TPMA) and a coalition of leading secular, historical, and humanist organizations invite the public to the annual celebration of the birth of one of America’s most influential Founders — Thomas Paine. This year’s online commemorative program, “The Times That Tried Men’s Souls: Thomas Paine’s Service During The Revolutionary War,” will take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
TPMA, which educates about Paine’s legacy, has been authorized by Congress to erect a memorial to Paine in Washington, D.C. The group has since received preliminary approval to pursue a memorial in Area 1 (close to the United States Capitol Building). The approval bill is awaiting congressional action.
Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense and The American Crisis, played an indispensable role in igniting the call for independence and sustaining morale through the darkest moments of the Revolution. His writing, service, and vision for a democratic society continue to inspire generations. Paine’s contributions recently have been highlighted in Ken Burns’ documentary “The American Revolution.”
Event Highlights
Distinguished Opening Remarks
The program will commence with words from Members of Congress Jamie Raskin and Victoria Spartz, with a special appearance from Benjamin Franklin.
Keynote Presentation
Acclaimed historian and author Jack Kelly — whose book Tom Paine’s War explores Paine’s firsthand experiences during the Revolution — will deliver a keynote address examining Paine’s military service and enduring relevance. Kelly will cover:
Paine’s background and rise to prominence
His Common Sense pamphlet and his influence on the Declaration of Independence
His service with the Pennsylvania militia and involvement with the Continental Army
The fall of Fort Washington and Fort Lee
The march across New Jersey
The writing of The American Crisis and its impact on the battles of Trenton and Princeton
Paine’s legacy in modern times
Readings from Paine’s Writings
Award-winning actor Ian Ruskin, known for his one-man show portraying Paine, will perform a dramatic reading from The American Crisis synchronized with a photo slide show of various images of the Paine memorial sculpted by Georg Lober, dedicated in 1950 in Morristown, New Jersey. The statue portrays Paine in the midst of writing The American Crisis during the Revolutionary War — capturing both his intellectual and patriotic courage.
A Veteran’s Perspective
Gene Jones of Florida Veterans for Common Sense will speak about Paine’s heroism, the challenges he aced after the war, and why Paine remains a powerful symbol of principled military service today.
Showcase: The Thomas Paine Cottage
A video created by Suzanne Tanswell and Gary Bush, trustees of the Huguenot New Rochelle Historical Association which owns the Thomas Paine Cottage in New Rochelle, New York, will highlight one of the most important historical sites connected to Paine’s life.
Additional Program Features
Musical selection from the celebrated play ‘The Crossing’
Live Q&A with Jack Kelly, Gary Berton, Christopher Cameron, Ian Ruskin, Margaret Downey, Gene Jones, Frances Chiu, Joy Masoff, Suzanne Tanswell, and Gary Bush
Cosponsor messages from national organizations
Credits slideshow
A post-event Social Hour and Toasts, including a special opening toast by renowned sculptor Zenos Frudakis, who will show his progress in creating a statue of Thomas Paine that will be placed in a prestigious pre-approved location in Washington, D.C.
Event Hosts and Sponsors
The event will be co-hosted by TPMA President Margaret Downey and TPMA Board Member Christopher Cameron.
Sponsors include:
Thomas Paine Memorial Association
Black Nonbelievers
Thomas Paine Historical Association
Freethought Society
Freedom From Religion Foundation
Thomas Paine Society
Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
American Atheists
Secular Coalition for America
American Humanist Association
Center for Inquiry/Richard Dawkins Foundation
Join Us
This event offers an extraordinary opportunity to rediscover Thomas Paine’s contributions through scholarship, performance, and reflection.
Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required.
Hear ye, hear ye! It’s time to celebrate the birth of Thomas Paine! The Zoom celebration will take place on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Noon (PST)/3:00 PM (EST). Registration at the below link:
The 2023 Thomas Paine birthdate celebration is sponsored by the Thomas Paine Memorial Association (TPMA), Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), Secular Student Alliance, Center For Inquiry (CFI), and The Freethought Society.
The theme of the 2023 event is “Thomas Paine Birthdate Proclamation Celebration.” TPMA board members will each read a Thomas Paine Day proclamation as an example of how a proclamation can be written to honor the life of our freethought hero. Thomas Paine Day is celebrated on June 8th every year. In Europe his date of death is used as an official time to reflect upon and honor his life accomplishments. Paine died on June 8, 1809.
Actor Ian Ruskin will be reading a New Rochelle, New York proclamation. Author, comedian, and monologist Julia Sweeney will be reading a City of Philadelphia proclamation signed by former Mayor Edward G. Rendell. Another City of Philadelphia proclamation, signed by former mayor Michael A. Nutter, will be read by author and educator Christopher Cameron. Actor John de Lancie and his wife Marnie Mosiman de Lancie will be reading proclamations from the cities of Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania. Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of FFRF will be reading the Urbana, Illinois proclamation. President and CEO of CFI, Robyn Blumner, will be reading the Bordentown, New Jersey proclamation. Author and educator Frances Chiu will read the Cherry Hill, New Jersey proclamation. Author, producer, and director Ann Druyan will read a Pennsylvania House of Representatives Thomas Paine Day Resolution.
The 2023 June 8th Thomas Paine Day will be enhanced when more proclamations are written and approved by mayors, governors, and city councils. Instructions on how to write a Thomas Paine Day proclamation will be provided by Margaret Downey, the president of TPMA.
Representative Jamie Raskin will share updates on the Congressional front along with a heartfelt welcome.
In September 2022, Representative Victoria Spartz became a co-lead of House Bill 6720 (a Congressional Bill to endorse a Washington, D.C. monument to honor Thomas Paine). She will also deliver a welcome address and convey why she supports a monument to Thomas Paine.
The keynote speaker is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of London Greg Claeys. His speech “Thomas Paine’s Collected Works: A New Edition,” will provide an update about efforts to uncover previously unattributed Paine writings.
Providing the celebratory music are selections from a new musical The Crossing. The play places Thomas Paine and his American Crisis front and center. The Crossing was written by Jason Huza and John Allen Watts. Three songs from the play will be featured: “These Are The Days” is a song that opens and closes The Crossing; “On The Wheel of Time” is a duet sung by the characters Elizabeth and Abigail; and “Rights Intrinsic” showcases Thomas Paine’s vision for a new world.
On Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 1:00 PM (PST)/4:00 PM (EST), hundreds of people willgather on Zoom to celebrate the birthdate of an often-forgotten Founding Father, Thomas Paine. Hailed as “Freethought Hero,” and great patriot, the January 29th event will be, as far as we know, the very first Zoom celebration of his birth. Zoom connections will be made from all over the world and everyone will be invited to deliver a toast in celebration of the life and work of this amazing champion of reason, independent thought, and revolutionary ideas.
The event is presented by the newly-formed Thomas Paine Memorial Association (TPMA), a 501(c)3 organization, with the purpose of educating the public and installing statues of Thomas Paine in Washington, DC and other places of significance to the life of Thomas Paine.
The American Humanist Association, Center for Inquiry, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Freethought Society, the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, and the Thomas Paine National Historical Association are cosponsors.
During the Thomas Paine Birthdate Celebration, the Stiefel Freethought Foundation (SFF) is pleased to offer an opportunity to TRIPLE any donation that is received. A $17.76 donation will be matched to become $53.28, and a $1,776 donation becomes $5,328! An opportunity such as this should not be missed. To triple your money, donate at: https://thomaspainememorial.org/donation/
Todd Stiefel will open the program with a few words about his triple-match offer and why the statue project is important.
TPMA board members, including John de Lancie, Julia Sweeney, Gary Berton, Ann Druyan, Marnie Mosiman de Lancie, Christopher Cameron, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Tom Legg, and Robyn Blumner will welcome everyone to the event.
Actor Ian Ruskin will speak about his experiences portraying Thomas Paine. He will share photos of appearances and will include an overview of his “Walk in the Footsteps of Thomas Paine” tour that took place in England.
TPMA president Margaret Downey will be talking about the many Thomas Paine-themed activities she has sponsored, including her “Walk in the Footsteps of Thomas Paine” that took place in Paris, France.
Sculptor Zenos Frudakis will join the festivities from his studio in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
Closing remarks will be delivered by Congressman Jamie Raskin.
Educator, songwriter, and recording artist James Klueh will perform two Thomas Paine-themed songs prior to the interactive social hour.
Please visit the link below to register for this exciting international event:
On Saturday, December 12, 2020 The Freethought Society (FS) and the Philadelphia Ethical Society (PES) will co-host a Winter Holiday Zoom event during which a Tree of Knowledge will be decorated in the FS office located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The event starts at 11:45 AM (PST)/2:45 PM (EST) with a 15-minute Pre-Event Social piano concert featuring Rollin Wilber. Wilber’s musical presentation was filmed at the PES building located at 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Authors of books that are always included on our Tree of Knowledge will be in attendance. Margaret Downey, president of FS, and Hugh Taft-Morales, leader of PES, will introduce special guests with technical assistance from Michael Steven Martin. Invited authors and titles of their book that each chose to discuss include:
Dan Barker God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction
Rob Boston Why the Religious Right Is Wrong About Separation of Church & State
Christopher Cameron Black Freethinkers
Tom Flynn The Trouble with Christmas
Annie Laurie Gaylor Women Without Superstition
Karen Garst Women Beyond Belief
Abby Hafer The Not-So-Intelligent Designer
Bailey Harris My Name is Stardust
Elle Harris Elle the Humanist
Hemant Mehta I Sold My Soul on eBay
Julien Musolino The Soul Fallacy: What Science Shows We Gain From Letting Go of Our Soul Beliefs
David Orenstein Darwin’s Apostles: The Men Who Fought to Have Evolution Accepted, Their Times, and How the Battle Continues
Ben Radford The Martians Have Landed!
Herb Silverman Candidate Without a Prayer
Katherine Stewart The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children
Tom Krattenmaker Onward Christian Athletes
Marlene Winell Leaving the Fold
As each author speaks (5-10 minutes each), a laminated copy of the book cover they are discussing will be placed on the Tree of Knowledge at the FS Chester County office.
After the formal presentations conclude there will be a 10-minute break with entertainment from Abraham Steve Mackey and Taft-Morales. Get yourself a holiday drink and rejoin us for a Post-Event Social. Attendees can help select additional laminated book cover ornaments that will adorn the 2020 Tree of Knowledge during this time. The list of available book cover ornaments can be found at this link:
As each book cover ornament is placed on the Tree of Knowledge, the person who made the selection will be invited to talk for 3-5 minutes about why the book is of significance and should be included.
This meeting will implement the latest available security features to help keep our conversation secure and will be recorded for replay on social media. By joining the meeting, you consent to be recorded and agree to abide by the Freethought Society’s Anti-Harassment and Code of Conduct Policy.
The Freethought Society (FS) is pleased to host Professor Christopher Cameron on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at 3:00 PM (EDT)/Noon (PDT) for an online Zoom presentation entitled “Black Freethought from Slavery to Civil Rights.” His talk is based on his book, Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism.
Learn how you can obtain the Zoom link by registering as a member of the FS Meetup.
Cameron’s talk will explore the origins of black freethought among 19th century slaves, many of whom could not reconcile notions of a loving God with their condition on Earth. The talk will then examine freethought in the 20thcentury as well as cultural and political movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, radical leftist politics, and the Black Power movement. Cameron argues that religious skepticism was prevalent among some of the most prominent voices in African American history, including Frederick Douglass, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Huey Newton, and Alice Walker.
Cameron is a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with research and teaching interests in African American and early American history, including slavery, the antislavery movement, religious and intellectual history. His first book, To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans in Massachusetts and the Making of the Antislavery Movement, explored the relationship between Puritan theology and the rise of black abolitionism, arguing throughout the work that African Americans were central to the development of the antislavery movement in America.
The Freethought Society (FS) is pleased to host Professor Christopher Cameron on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at 3:00 PM (EDT)/Noon (PDT) for an online Zoom presentation entitled “Black Freethought from Slavery to Civil Rights.” His talk is based on his book, 