Bordentown in Burlington County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Thomas Paine Monument
Photographed By Rc
1. Thomas Paine Monument at head of Prince Street in Historical Bordentown, NJ
Father of the American Revolution
(Northeast face of Monument Base):
Paine's words and deeds put the concepts of independence, equality, democracy, abolution of slavery, representative government and a constitution with a bill of rights on the American agenda.
(Southwest face of Monument Base):
"I had rather see my horse button in his own stable, or eating the grass of Bordentown, than see all the pomp and show of Europe." - Letter from Europe 1789.
(Northwest face of Monument Base):
Paine considered Bordentown his home; it is here he invented his bridge.
Dedicated to the people of Bordentown from the Bordentown Historical Society. 6-7-97
Erected 1997 by Bordentown Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Civil Rights • Colonial Era • Communications • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1789.
Location. 40° 8.972′ N, 74° 42.949′ W. Marker is in Bordentown, New Jersey, in Burlington County. Marker is at the intersection of Prince
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. British Raid on Crosswicks Creek (within shouting distance of this marker); Home of Thomas Buchanan Read (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The "Wye" and the Lower Bordentown Station (about 500 feet away); The Crosswicks Creek "Trestle Vessel" (about 500 feet away); Discover Abbott Marshlands: A Natural & Historical Treasure (about 500 feet away); Home of Stephen Sayre (about 600 feet away); An Early Transportation Hub (about 600 feet away); Home of Col. Joseph Borden 2nd (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bordentown.
Photographed By Rc
2. Northeast face of Thomas Paine Monument Marker Base
Photographed By Rc
3. Southwest face of Thomas Paine Monument Marker Base
Photographed By Rc
4. Northwest face of Thomas Paine Monument Marker Base
Photographed By Rc
5. Detail of Book in Thomas Paine's Hand
Photographed By Rc
6. "We Have it in Our Power to Begin the World Over Again"
This quote by Thomas Paine is carved into the "stone" that his left foot is resting on.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 16, 2015
7. Thomas Paine
1737-1809
Born Thetford, England
1737-1809
Born Thetford, England
This 1791 portrait of Thomas Paine by Laurent Dabos hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
“‘For God's sake, let us come to a final separation,‘ pleaded an anonymous author in a brief pamphlet called Common Sense, published in Philadelphia on January 9, 1776. ’You have it in your power to begin the world all over again’ Written by Thomas Paine, a down-at-the-heels immigrant recently arrived from England, this call for an immediate declaration of independence had a stunning effect, rousing spirits within Congress and without.
In December 1776 Paine was with the Continental army as it retreated across New Jersey, and George Washington confessed privately that the game was nearly up. ‘The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country,’ Paine wrote in an essay that Washington read to the troops, ‘but he that stands by it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.’” — National Portrait Gallery
“‘For God's sake, let us come to a final separation,‘ pleaded an anonymous author in a brief pamphlet called Common Sense, published in Philadelphia on January 9, 1776. ’You have it in your power to begin the world all over again’ Written by Thomas Paine, a down-at-the-heels immigrant recently arrived from England, this call for an immediate declaration of independence had a stunning effect, rousing spirits within Congress and without.
In December 1776 Paine was with the Continental army as it retreated across New Jersey, and George Washington confessed privately that the game was nearly up. ‘The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country,’ Paine wrote in an essay that Washington read to the troops, ‘but he that stands by it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.’” — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. This page has been viewed 3,074 times since then and 105 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 5, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 7. submitted on April 19, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
