By the Western calendar, February 9th, 1737 is Thomas Paine’s date of birth. Of all the contributors to the American Revolution and to the fledgling American Republic, the work of Thomas Paine not only endures but still resonates loudly today. Paine was the first to promote the idea of an Estate Tax and a minimum wage. Indeed, Paine’s ideas articulated in his pamphlet Agrarian Justice form the basis of populist policies passed during the New Deal. In fact, the full text of Agrarian Justice can be found on the official Social Security website: Social Insurance History
Happy Birthday, Thomas Paine born this day in 1737 in Thetford, Norfolk, England! Your ideas benefit all of humanity to date!