December 28, 1793
Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason, having been tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Before moving to France, Paine was an instrumental figure in the American Revolution as the author of Common Sense. Paine moved to Paris to become involved with the French Revolution, but the chaotic political climate turned against him, and he was arrested and jailed for crimes against the country. Paine was opposed to the death penalty and opposed the French revolutionaries who were sending hundreds to the guillotine. He also began writing The Age of Reason, which promoted the controversial notion that God did not influence the actions of people and that science and rationality would prevail over religion and superstition. President James Monroe used his diplomatic connections to get Paine released from Luxembourg Prison in November 1794. He died a poor man in 1809 in New York.
