PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 11, 2026) — The National Constitution Center featured a program exploring the revolutionary life, ideas and legacy of Thomas Paine in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his famous pamphlet, Common Sense.
Gary Berton, president of The Thomas Paine Historical Association, joined Scott Cleary, co-editor of New Direction in Thomas Paine Studies and author of The Field of Imagination: Thomas Paine and Eighteenth-Century Poetry, for the discussion on February 09, 2026.
Julie Silverbrook, vice president of civic education at the National Constitution Center, moderated the program.
The program is generously sponsored by Citizen Travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement initiative of Travelers.
Berton is an editor of the new six-volume “Thomas Paine: Collected Writings,” a collection that includes almost 400 newly discovered and previously unknown works and will be published in 2026 by Princeton University Press.
Cleary is professor of English at Iona University in New Rochelle, NY. He serves on the board of the Thomas Paine Historical Association and works as a senior editor for the Thomas Paine: Collected Writings project.
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