In 1964, the Thomas Paine Society UK foundation was founded with a goal of promoting a better understanding of the man and his work. The Thomas Paine Society UK became the premier Thomas Paine historical society in the UK. In 2025, the Thomas Paine National Historical Association merged with the Thomas Paine Society UK to form the internationally-focused Thomas Paine Historical Association. This is the 1979 Number 3 Volume 6 edition of the Thomas Paine Society UK Bulletin, published from 1965 to 2013.
Even among the students of social movements there is a wide measure of ignorance as to the extent and influence of the Freethought movement particularly in the second half of the 19th century.
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Perhaps the point made in this book which struck me with most force occurred when the author was discussing the controversy between Burke and Paine. Paine refers to the view of some individuals he does not name who considered Burke “a madman.”
The brutal treatment meted out to the ringleaders of the mutiny makes grim reading, and is testimony to the genuine fear among the self—apointed leaders of England at the threat to their wealth and privilege the mutiny posed. Their attitude is reflected among some of today’s political figures.
In so far as I know, though I stand to be corrected, until this book appeared, no work of substance on Paine has appeared in Portugal, though I have seen references to some of Paine’s works being translated into Portuguese.
Paine admired the teachings of Jesus, and he went to great lengths to free them from smothering additions, which had been drawn from the mythology of ancient cults and grafted onto them by the churchmakers who usurped Jesus’s role of teacher.
