Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s hybrid event, “The Sources of American Civics: Founding Era Documents in Our Present Moment,” featuring historians Dr. Hannah Farber, Dr. Jonathan Gienapp, and Dr. Adam Arenson. As debates over the meaning of America’s founding documents continue to shape our public life, this timely conversation will explore how the Declaration, Constitution, and other founding-era texts have been understood and how they continue to inform American civic life today.

Join us Wednesday, August 26, from 5–6 p.m. at Iona University’s LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, or participate virtually. Light bites and beverages will be served for those attending in person.

We hope you'll join us online or in person for this important conversation!

Subscribe now

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

As summer begins to wind down, we’re looking ahead to an exciting new academic year at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies. Whether you’ve spent the past few months traveling, researching, teaching, working, or simply enjoying a well-earned break, August is a time to reflect on the experiences of the summer while preparing for the opportunities that lie ahead.

This month’s newsletter captures that spirit of transition. We begin with an important reminder about an upcoming scholarship deadline for currently enrolled undergraduate students at Iona interested in advancing their research and professional development. Apply to become a Paine Ambassador by midnight on August 10, 2026!

We’re also taking a look back at one of the highlights of the summer: the ITPS-sponsored study abroad program in Lewes, England. From exploring historic sites to engaging with the people and places that shaped Thomas Paine’s life and legacy, students experienced history beyond the classroom while building lasting connections with one another. We’re excited to share a few memorable moments and reflections from the program.

Finally, as campuses come back to life and the fall semester approaches, our calendar is filling with lectures, conferences, public programs, and other events. Whether you’ll be joining us in person or online, we hope you’ll find opportunities to learn, connect, and participate in the months ahead.

As always, thank you for being part of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies community. We look forward to seeing many of you this fall and wish everyone a successful start to the new semester.

Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline is August 10, 2026

Thomas Paine was a passionate advocate for the American and French Revolutions, free speech, and the ability to rely on human reasoning skills. Though he died in New Rochelle in 1809, his clear, persuasive writing continues to inspire freedom seekers in many fields of thought.

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

To receive the stipend, Thomas Paine Ambassadors must:

• Participate in four (4) mandatory programs hosted by the ITPS over the course of the academic year;

• Complete DH 210 in the spring semester with a passing grade.

TO APPLY:

Students may apply via the student employment portal for on-campus jobs. Search for Thomas Paine Ambassador (job ID 5783). Applicants must submit current contact information, a resume, and one paragraph that explains their career goals and how they intersect with the legacy of Thomas Paine’s ideas and work.

The next deadline for application is midnight on August 10, 2026 for participation in the program in the 2026-2027 academic year.

From New Rochelle to Lewes: Walking in Thomas Paine’s Footsteps

This summer, three Iona University students traveled to Lewes, England, for a once-in-a-lifetime public history internship experience celebrating the 250th anniversary of the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Working at Bull House, the historic home and business of Paine about 80 miles south of London, the students spent three weeks helping to develop exhibitions and interpretive materials that will introduce visitors from around the world to Paine’s life, ideas, and enduring legacy.

Under the guidance of Bull House Director Leanne O’Boyle and ITPS affiliated faculty Professor Adam Arenson, students gained hands-on experience in museum interpretation, exhibition design, and public history. Their work contributed directly to the site’s America250 anniversary programming as well as ongoing initiatives at Bull House, demonstrating how historical scholarship can be transformed into engaging experiences for public audiences. The anniversary drew media attention to Lewes and Bull House, which included TV and radio interviews with Iona students.

Mary Liguori, a sophomore at Iona, wrote:

“From the moment I walked through the Bull House door, I was transported to a time where they grappled with many concepts that are still relevant today. This made me think deeper about who Thomas Paine really was, and more importantly who I am. Spending three weeks away from home in a whole new continent allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself, helping me grow not only as a student at Iona, but also a person who desperately wants to continue traveling.”

The program also offered opportunities to explore the places that shaped Paine before he emigrated to America in 1774. Students immersed themselves in the history of 18th-century England with visits to five historic houses, three museums, a rare book archive, and other historic and natural sites in southern England while staying at the University of Sussex alongside students from around the world. They also celebrated a July 4 Festival of Democracy which included a town-wide parade in Lewes. Nearby beaches offered cool swims and breaks from the summer heat!

Iona junior Kaitlyn Larkin reflected on her trip:

“My internship in Lewes, England was one of the most valuable educational experiences I have had. An opportunity like this allowed me to study Thomas Paine in the very place where he lived before stepping onto the world stage in the American Revolution… It demonstrated how research, preservation, and storytelling work together to bring history to life and learn how to incorporate it into the future.”

Made possible through the generosity of the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, this funded summer internship program exemplifies ITPS’s commitment to experiential learning. By combining academic study with meaningful public history work, the program allowed students to contribute to an international commemoration while developing valuable professional skills and a deeper appreciation for Thomas Paine’s global legacy.

Save the Date for “America’s ‘First Revolution’: Indigenous Nations, Bacon’s Rebellion, and Mythologies of Independence from 1676 to Today”

Friday, September 25 - Saturday, September 26, 2026
New Rochelle, New York, and virtually via Zoom

Free and open to all

As the United States reflects on the 250^th anniversary of independence, the question of what defines a revolution is an enduring one, especially its motivations, goals, and chronology. When veered toward separation from the British Empire, their prior experience with resistance and revolt shaped their answers. One example, Bacon’s Rebellion, was once called America’s ‘First’ Revolution by historians. Taking place exactly one hundred years before the Declaration of Independence, the conflict has often been understood as an early site of resistance to British authority, which elevated it to a prophetic event with mythological power. The narratives that subsequently developed around rebellion, revolution, and, eventually, independence—not only in the eighteenth century but also in popular and scholarly imaginations today—often reflected that perception. Moreover, these narratives were also part of an even earlier chronology, one where the specter of the English Revolution (1639–1659) was a pervasive narrative touchstone. Yet, as more recent scholarship demonstrates, the imaginary around Bacon’s Rebellion and the origins of revolution was far more complex, particularly in the roles that played alongside enslaved, colonial, and imperial actors.

For the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies’ (ITPS) Seventh Biannual Conference, we hope to contribute to ongoing dialogues about commemoration and American independence by considering these earlier debates around the meanings of revolution. The discussions planned for the conference will consider these themes not just around late seventeenth century histories, but also how a variety of peoples interpreted the meanings of rebellion, revolution, and independence in the centuries before 1776.

Kathleen M. Brown, David Boies Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the keynote address for the conference on Friday evening. Professor Brown is a historian of gender and race in early America and the Atlantic World. Educated at Wesleyan University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, she is author of Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, and Anxious Patriarchs: Gender, Race, and Power in Colonial Virginia (Chapel Hill, 1996), which won the Dunning Prize of the American Historical Association. Her second book, Foul Bodies: Cleanliness in Early America (Yale, 2009), received the Organization of American Historians’ Lawrence Levine Book Prize for cultural history and the Society of the History of the Early American Republic Book Prize. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2015-2016 to support her research and writing of her forthcoming book, Undoing Slavery: Abolitionist Body Politics and the Argument over Humanity.

“America’s ‘First’ Revolution” will be a fully hybrid conference, with virtual and in-person components on the Iona campus in New Rochelle, which is located just outside New York City in Westchester County.

Registration details and the complete will be available on the conference website in early September 2026. Attendance is free and open to all.

This conference is possible thanks to support from “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education and the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Starting today, the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR) will convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the 47th annual meeting. And it’s going to be a big one! If you think that the FIFA World Cup Final would be the biggest event of the summer, think again. For historians who study the American Revolution and the early republican period, this is our championship event. Hundreds of scholars, students, museum professionals, librarians, archivists, and public historians will gather for the next four days to share new research, debate old questions, reconnect with colleagues, and discover the exciting work that is reshaping our understanding of the early American past.

Even if you can't travel to Philadelphia this week, you can still experience part of the SHEAR conference from wherever you are. Several sessions will be livestreamed for free via Zoom, making it easy to hear from leading scholars, engage with new research, and join the conversation. Below are a few of the hybrid sessions sponsored in part by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the Virginia Military Institute as well as some other sessions featuring ITPS staff.

We hope you'll join us online or in person!

Free Virtual SHEAR Sessions | July 17-18, 2026

Can't make it to Philadelphia for SHEAR this week? You can still be part of the conversation. A select number of conference sessions will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing virtual attendees to join live via Zoom (EST). You can check out all the panels in the conference program.

Please use the links below if you would like to attend any of the following sessions for free virtually:

• Friday, July 17 - Session One: 9:00-10:45 am

  • Roundtable: [Intellectual] Properties of Revolution: Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks in Early America

• Friday, July 17 - Session Two: 11:00 am-12:45 pm

  • The Revolution Beyond the Republic

• Friday, July 17 - Session Three: 2:15-4:00 pm

  • Roundtable: Historians on Camera: Interpreting the Revolution through Documentary Film

• Friday, July 17 - Session Four: 4:15-6:00 pm

  • Roundtable: The Early Republic and Contemporary US Politics

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Five: 9:00-10:45 am

  • JER Session: New Approaches to Freedom of Religion in the Early Republic

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Six: 11:00 am-12:45 pm

  • Roundtable: Honoring James Brewer Stewart

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Seven: 2:15-4:00 pm

  • African American Belonging in the Early Republic and Approaches to Colonization and Emigration

10 More Things To Know about the American Revolution | Friday, July 17 from 1-2pm

The ITPS is co-sponsoring a SHEAR session called “10 More Things To Know about the American Revolution.” This lively mid-day program at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will explore the American Revolution through fast-paced, engaging talks. Ten dynamic speakers will each share a compelling insight, untold story, or surprising perspective they believe everyone should know—each in three minutes or less. This energetic format offers a wide-ranging look at revolutionary history in a single hour. Attendees will also be able to visit HSP’s current exhibition Paths To Independence, 1765-1787.

• WHEN: Friday, July 17 from 1-2pm

• WHERE: In person only at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

• WHO: Open to the general public. (Boxed lunches available for SHEAR Conference attendees. Make sure to select the appropriate ticket.)

• PRICE: FREE

• REGISTRATION: Click here to register.

SHEAR Early Career Mentorship Reception | Friday, July 17 from 6-7pm

A wonderful SHEAR tradition sponsored by the ITPS, the Early Career Mentorship Reception brings together historians and scholars at all stages of their careers for an evening of conversation and connection. Whether you're looking for career advice, hoping to expand your professional network, or simply want to meet others working in the field, this welcoming event offers a relaxed setting to build meaningful relationships with some chilled beverages and delicious snacks.

We encourage anyone who wants to talk history to stop by and join the conversation!

• WHEN: Friday, July 17 from 6-7 pm

• WHERE: In person only at DoubleTree Hotel, Balcony Restaurant

• WHO: Open to all SHEAR attendees who are participating in the program or who wish to participate in the future

• PRICE: FREE

Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline is August 10, 2026

Thomas Paine was a passionate advocate for the American and French Revolutions, free speech, and the ability to rely on human reasoning skills. Though he died in New Rochelle in 1809, his clear, persuasive writing continues to inspire freedom seekers in many fields of thought.

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

To receive the stipend, Thomas Paine Ambassadors must:

• Participate in four (4) mandatory programs hosted by the ITPS over the course of the academic year;

• Complete DH 210 in the spring semester with a passing grade.

TO APPLY:

Students may apply via the student employment portal for on-campus jobs. Search for Thomas Paine Ambassador (job ID 5783). Applicants must submit current contact information, a resume, and one paragraph that explains their career goals and how they intersect with the legacy of Thomas Paine’s ideas and work.

The next deadline for application is August 10, 2026 for participation in the program in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

In less than a week, the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR) will convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the 47th annual meeting. And it’s going to be a big one! If you think that the FIFA World Cup Final would be the biggest event of the summer, think again. For historians who study the American Revolution and the early republican period, this is our championship event. Hundreds of scholars, students, museum professionals, librarians, archivists, and public historians will gather for four days to share new research, debate old questions, reconnect with colleagues, and discover the exciting work that is reshaping our understanding of the early American past.

Even if you can't travel to Philadelphia this summer, you can still experience part of the SHEAR conference from wherever you are. Several sessions will be livestreamed for free via Zoom, making it easy to hear from leading scholars, engage with new research, and join the conversation. Below are a few of the hybrid sessions sponsored in part by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the Virginia Military Institute as well as some other sessions featuring ITPS staff.

We hope you'll join us online or in person!

Free Virtual SHEAR Sessions | July 17-18, 2026

Can't make it to Philadelphia for SHEAR next week? You can still be part of the conversation. A select number of conference sessions will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing virtual attendees to join live via Zoom (EST). You can check out all the panels in the conference program.

Please use the links below if you would like to attend any of the following sessions for free virtually:

• Friday, July 17 - Session One: 9:00-10:45 am

  • Roundtable: [Intellectual] Properties of Revolution: Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks in Early America

• Friday, July 17 - Session Two: 11:00 am-12:45 pm

  • The Revolution Beyond the Republic

• Friday, July 17 - Session Three: 2:15-4:00 pm

  • Roundtable: Historians on Camera: Interpreting the Revolution through Documentary Film

• Friday, July 17 - Session Four: 4:15-6:00 pm

  • Roundtable: The Early Republic and Contemporary US Politics

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Five: 9:00-10:45 am

  • JER Session: New Approaches to Freedom of Religion in the Early Republic

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Six: 11:00 am-12:45 pm

  • Roundtable: Honoring James Brewer Stewart

• Saturday, July 18 - Session Seven: 2:15-4:00 pm

  • African American Belonging in the Early Republic and Approaches to Colonization and Emigration

10 More Things To Know about the American Revolution | Friday, July 17 from 1-2pm

The ITPS is co-sponsoring a SHEAR session called “10 More Things To Know about the American Revolution.” This lively mid-day program at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will explore the American Revolution through fast-paced, engaging talks. Ten dynamic speakers will each share a compelling insight, untold story, or surprising perspective they believe everyone should know—each in three minutes or less. This energetic format offers a wide-ranging look at revolutionary history in a single hour. Attendees will also be able to visit HSP’s current exhibition Paths To Independence, 1765-1787.

• WHEN: Friday, July 17 from 1-2pm

• WHERE: In person only at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

• WHO: Open to the general public. (Boxed lunches available for SHEAR Conference attendees. Make sure to select the appropriate ticket.)

• PRICE: FREE

• REGISTRATION: Click here to register.

SHEAR Early Career Mentorship Reception | Friday, July 17 from 6-7pm

A wonderful SHEAR tradition sponsored by the ITPS, the Early Career Mentorship Reception brings together historians and scholars at all stages of their careers for an evening of conversation and connection. Whether you're looking for career advice, hoping to expand your professional network, or simply want to meet others working in the field, this welcoming event offers a relaxed setting to build meaningful relationships with some chilled beverages and delicious snacks.

We encourage anyone who wants to talk history to stop by and join the conversation!

• WHEN: Friday, July 17 from 6-7 pm

• WHERE: In person only at DoubleTree Hotel, Balcony Restaurant

• WHO: Open to all SHEAR attendees who are participating in the program or who wish to participate in the future

• PRICE: FREE

Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline is August 10, 2026

Thomas Paine was a passionate advocate for the American and French Revolutions, free speech, and the ability to rely on human reasoning skills. Though he died in New Rochelle in 1809, his clear, persuasive writing continues to inspire freedom seekers in many fields of thought.

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

To receive the stipend, Thomas Paine Ambassadors must:

• Participate in four (4) mandatory programs hosted by the ITPS over the course of the academic year;

• Complete DH 210 in the spring semester with a passing grade.

TO APPLY:

Students may apply via the student employment portal for on-campus jobs. Search for Thomas Paine Ambassador (job ID 5783). Applicants must submit current contact information, a resume, and one paragraph that explains their career goals and how they intersect with the legacy of Thomas Paine’s ideas and work.

The next deadline for application is August 10, 2026 for participation in the program in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Today the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and communities across the country are reflecting on the people, ideas, and events that shaped the nation's founding. While signers of the Declaration such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Hancock are familiar to most Americans, one of the Revolution's most influential figures never signed the Declaration at all: Thomas Paine.

Long before fireworks and barbeques and even before the Declaration of Independence, Paine helped to convince Americans that independence was worth fighting for. An English immigrant who arrived in Philadelphia in 1774, Paine quickly emerged as one of the most powerful voices for independence. In January 1776, he published Common Sense, a short pamphlet that transformed the political conversation. Rather than writing for lawmakers or philosophers, Paine addressed ordinary readers in clear, direct language. He argued that independence from Great Britain was both necessary and achievable, helping thousands of colonists imagine a new political future.

The pamphlet became a publishing sensation and Paine’s words spread rapidly through the American colonies. Some estimates suggest that Common Sense sold approximately 120,000 copies within its first few months, with many more read aloud in taverns, homes, and public meeting spaces, allowing Paine’s ideas to reach audiences far beyond those who could purchase or read a copy.

America’s Semiquincentennial invites us to remember that revolutions are driven not only by military victories, but also by ideas. In the early months of 1776, Paine's Common Sense helped build the public opinion and momentum that made the Declaration possible. Before the Declaration announced that the colonies were "free and independent states," Paine had persuaded many Americans that such a step was justified and urgent. His famous declaration, "We have it in our power to begin the world over again," captured the revolutionary optimism of the moment.

Two hundred and fifty years later, Thomas Paine reminds us that the American Revolution was not only fought on battlefields: it was also won through the power of ideas, persuasion, and the printed word.

On this special anniversary, we invite you to explore:

• Two video tours from Lewes, England, where Paine lived before he left England

• Open Applications for Thomas Paine Ambassadors | Deadline: August 10, 2026

Watch “Before Common Sense: Thomas Paine's Forgotten Years in Lewes, England”

Produced in partnership with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, Ben Franklin’s World, and Thomas Paine: Legacy, this video is a guided tour of the inside of Bull House, the home in southern England where Thomas Paine lived for six years before emigrating to Philadelphia in 1774. Join Leanne O’Boyle (Founding Director of Thomas Paine: Legacy, stewards of Bull House) as she walks through the rooms where Paine lived with his wife Elizabeth, who helped to run the family’s tobacco and snuff business.

When he was 31 years old, Paine moved to Lewes in 1768 to take a job as an excise officer, or tax collector for the Crown. While he lived there, he first encountered radical political ideas at the local White Hart debating club, worshipped alongside religious dissenters, and wrote his first political pamphlet, “The Case of the Officers of Excise,” arguing for fair wages for tax collectors. Paine was fired from his job after the publication of the pamphlet and, with no money and no other prospects, decided to move to Philadelphia in 1774.

📌 Bull House is located at 92 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex. Thomas Paine Legacy offers tours on Thursdays and Saturdays. Entry is free.

🔗 https://thomaspainelegacy.org/

🔗 https://benfranklinsworld.com/

Watch “The England Thomas Paine Left Behind: A Walking Tour of Lewes”

As we step outside of Bull House, join Leanne O’Boyle (Founding Director of Thomas Paine: Legacy) on a walking tour of Lewes, England. The tour explores the streets, churches, pubs, and public spaces that shaped Thomas Paine’s life during the years before he emigrated to North America. Rather than presenting Paine as a revolutionary who appeared fully formed in 1776, the tour reveals the local world that helped develop his political ideas long before Common Sense made him famous.

Paine lived in Lewes for six formative years. He married Elizabeth Olive, the daughter of his landlord, played bowls on the town green, joined debates at the White Hart Hotel, and took part in local politics and public meetings. O’Boyle shows how Lewes’s culture of religious dissent, civic participation, and lively debate exposed Paine to arguments about rights, representation, and government. These experiences helped shape the political philosophy that he later carried to America.

By tracing Paine’s roots in Lewes, the tour offers a valuable reminder for America’s Semiquincentennial: revolutionary ideas often grow out of everyday conversations and local communities before they transform national history.

This video was created in partnership with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, Thomas Paine: Legacy, and Ben Franklin’s World.

🔗 https://theitps.org/

🔗 https://thomaspainelegacy.org/

🔗 https://benfranklinsworld.com/

Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline is August 10, 2026

Thomas Paine was a passionate advocate for the American and French Revolutions, free speech, and the ability to rely on human reasoning skills. Though he died in New Rochelle in 1809, his clear, persuasive writing continues to inspire freedom seekers in many fields of thought.

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

To receive the stipend, Thomas Paine Ambassadors must:

• Participate in four (4) mandatory programs hosted by the ITPS over the course of the academic year;

• Complete DH 210 in the spring semester with a passing grade.

TO APPLY:

Students may apply via the student employment portal for on-campus jobs. Search for Thomas Paine Ambassador (job ID 5783). Applicants must submit current contact information, a resume, and one paragraph that explains their career goals and how they intersect with the legacy of Thomas Paine’s ideas and work.

The next deadline for application is August 10, 2026 for participation in the program in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

As we head into the final stretch of the academic year, the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies is excited to celebrate a season of learning, community, and new opportunities. We have two outstanding events still ahead, bringing together students, scholars, and public audiences to explore the ideas and history that continue to shape our world. We're also thrilled to open applications for our Thomas Paine Ambassadors scholarship program, a chance for students to deepen their engagement with public history, civic life, and the enduring legacy of Thomas Paine. Here’s what is coming up:

• Juneteenth Quaff and Quill: Cookbook Talk with Nicole A. Taylor | June 6, 2026

• Common Sense and the Constitution | June 8, 2026

• Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline: August 10, 2026

Juneteenth Quaff and Quill: Cookbook Talk with Nicole A. Taylor | June 6, 2026

Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a conversation about the very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth, from food writer and cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor, who draws on her decade of experiences observing the holiday.

All-day cook-outs with artful salads, bounteous dessert spreads, and raised glasses of “red drink” are essential to Juneteenth gatherings. In Watermelon and Red Birds, Taylor puts jubilation on the main stage. As a master storyteller and cook, she bridges the traditional African-American table and 21st-century flavors in stories and recipes.

Watermelon and Red Birds contains over 75 recipes, including drinks such as Afro Egg Cream, dishes including Peach Jam and Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs, and desserts such as Radish and Ginger Pound Cake. Taylor also provides a resource to guide readers to BIPOC-owned hot sauces, jams, spice, and waffle mixes companies and lists fun gadgets to make your Juneteenth special.

These recipes and our conversation with Taylor will inspire you to host your own parties to salute one of the most important American holidays, and moments to savor joy all year round.

The first 25 registered in-person attendees will receive a free copy of Watermelon and Red Birds!

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Saturday, June 6, 2026

• TIME: 4:00 - 5:00pm

• PLACE: This is a hybrid event. Please join us in person or online via Zoom.

  • CLICK HERE FOR IN PERSON REGISTRATION
    Thomas Paine Cottage Museum, 20 Sicard Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804. Driving Directions

  • CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR

This program is produced with support from the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry and the "Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement and the Spirit of 1776

Civic Legacies of the Declaration of Independence

As the United States quickly approaches the 250th anniversary of independence this Fourth of July, Iona University’s new initiative, “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776,” is bringing together leaders in government, education, and public history for a discussion of how the principles and practices shared in that founding document influence our New Rochelle, New York, national, and global communities today.

Iona University invites you to join us for a roundtable event!

Hosted by: Nora Slonimsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, History Department and Director of Institute for Thomas Paine studies.

Speakers: Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Iona University, Nicole Mahoney, Ph.D., Public Historian/Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, and Barbara Davis, New Rochelle Historian. Reception to follow.

• DATE: Monday, June 8, 2026

• TIME: 4:00 - 5:30pm

• PLACE: Henry Lecture Hall, LaPenta School of Business, Iona University

To register for in person attendance, click here.

This program is produced with support from the “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Apply to be a Thomas Paine Ambassador | Deadline is August 10, 2026

Thomas Paine was a passionate advocate for the American and French Revolutions, free speech, and the ability to rely on human reasoning skills. Though he died in New Rochelle in 1809, his clear, persuasive writing continues to inspire freedom seekers in many fields of thought.

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

To receive the stipend, Thomas Paine Ambassadors must:

• Participate in four (4) mandatory programs hosted by the ITPS over the course of the academic year;

• Complete DH 210 in the spring semester with a passing grade.

TO APPLY:

Students may apply via the student employment portal for on-campus jobs. Search for Thomas Paine Ambassador (job ID 5783). Applicants must submit current contact information, a resume, and one paragraph that explains their career goals and how they intersect with the legacy of Thomas Paine’s ideas and work.

The next deadline for application is August 10, 2026 for participation in the program in the 2026-2027 academic year.

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Call for Proposals: America’s ‘First Revolution’: Indigenous Nations, Bacon’s Rebellion, and Mythologies of Independence from 1676 to Today

As the United States reflects on the 250^th anniversary of independence, the question of what defines a revolution is an enduring one, especially its motivations, goals, and chronology. When veered toward separation from the British Empire, their prior experience with resistance and revolt shaped their answers. One example, Bacon’s Rebellion, was once called America’s ‘First’ Revolution by historians. Taking place exactly one hundred years before the Declaration of Independence, the conflict has often been understood as an early site of resistance to British authority, which elevated it to a prophetic event with mythological power. The narratives that subsequently developed around rebellion, revolution, and, eventually, independence—not only in the eighteenth century but also in popular and scholarly imaginations today—often reflected that perception. Moreover, these narratives were also part of an even earlier chronology, one where the specter of the English Revolution (1639–1659) was a pervasive narrative touchstone. Yet, as more recent scholarship demonstrates, the imaginary around Bacon’s Rebellion and the origins of revolution was far more complex, particularly in the roles that played alongside enslaved, colonial, and imperial actors.

For the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies’ (ITPS) Seventh Biannual Conference, we hope to contribute to ongoing dialogues about commemoration and American independence by considering these earlier debates around the meanings of revolution. We welcome proposals that consider these themes not just around late seventeenth century histories, but also how a variety of peoples interpreted the meanings of rebellion, revolution, and independence in the centuries before 1776. We are similarly interested in proposals that consider the influence of those interpretations in our present moment, and those that foreground tribal, community, and descendant histories, oral histories, digital tools, public history sites, archival resources, interactive platforms, classroom strategies, and more. “America’s ‘First’ Revolution” will be a fully hybrid program, with virtual and in-person components on the Iona campus in New Rochelle, which is located just outside New York City in Westchester County. Presentations can take the form of papers, posters, lightening talks, non-traditional presentations (including film or other creative works), and pre-formed panels and roundtables.

Scholars and experts of all disciplinary and professional backgrounds and levels are encouraged to apply. If needed, financial support for participation may be available. Please include a 250-word abstract and either a one-page curriculum vitae or brief bio in one document labeled with the applicant or session organizer’s last name, with participant name(s), title, and email address at the top of the first page of the proposal. Submissions may be sent to itps@iona.edu by May 31, 2026, and will be notified of decisions by early June. Proposals will be considered by the program committee, which includes Dr. Matthew Kruer of the University of Chicago, Dr. Haley Negrin of the University of Illinois: Chicago, Dr. Adam Arenson of the ITPS and Iona University Honors Program, Ms. Mindy De Palma of Iona University, and Dr. Nicole Mahoney of the ITPS and Iona University. For additional information or questions, please contact Dr. Nora Slonimsky, ITPS Director, at nslonimsky@iona.edu.

This conference is possible thanks to support from “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education and the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry.

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

There’s a lot happening at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies this April! We’re in the midst of a busy and exciting stretch of events, programs, and new invitations you won’t want to miss. Read on for the latest updates, and join us as we bring Paine’s revolutionary spirit to life in fresh and engaging ways throughout the month.

• Quaff and Quill: Book Talk with Jordan Smith | April 15, 2026

• Join the ITPS at the OAH | April 17, 2026

• Quaff and Quill: Book Talk with Emily Sneff | April 22, 2026

• Call for Papers: America’s ‘First Revolution’ | Due May 15, 2026

• From a Friend: Call for Papers: Revolutions and Reflections | Due May 10, 2026

Join us tonight for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Jordan Smith | April 15, 2026

Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a talk with Professor Jordan B. Smith (Widener University) about his new book, The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity (2025) to learn the complex history of rum, from its production to its consumption, and from its origins in the Caribbean to its impact on the Atlantic world.

It was strong. It was cheap. It was ubiquitous. Fermented and distilled from the refuse of sugar production, rum emerged in the seventeenth-century Caribbean as a new commodity. To conjure something desirable from waste, the makers, movers, and drinkers of rum arrived at its essential qualities through cross-cultural experimentation and exchange. Those profiting most from the sale of rum also relied on plantation slavery, devoured natural resources, and overlooked the physiological effects of overconsumption in their pursuit of profit. Focusing on the lived experiences of British colonists, Indigenous people, and enslaved Africans, The Invention of Rum shows how people engaged in making and consuming this commodity created a new means of profit that transformed the Atlantic world.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University, New Rochelle, NY

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

This program is produced with support from the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry and the "Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Join the ITPS at the OAH | April 17, 2026

We warmly invite you to join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a reception at the Organization of American Historians Conference on American History in Philadelphia on April 17. We’ll be in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in the Exhibit Hall at the University of Virginia Press booth (311) for a special gathering celebrating the From Pamphlets to Podcasts series. Stop by for cake and conversation with UVA Press Editor in Chief Nadine Zimmerli and series editors Nora Slonimsky and Mark Boonshoft, and learn more about exciting new titles in this innovative publication series.

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Emily Sneff | April 15, 2026

Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University, New Rochelle, NY

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

This program is produced with support from the "Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Call for Proposals: America’s ‘First Revolution’: Indigenous Nations, Bacon’s Rebellion, and Mythologies of Independence from 1676 to Today

From a Friend

Call for Proposals: Revolutions and Reflections: A Conference for Editing and Recovery Practitioners

From August 8–9, the Center for Digital Editing’s eLaboratories will host its first annual conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, under the theme “Revolutions and Reflections.” We invite editors, recovery practitioners, public historians, archivists, educators, students, digital humanists, community-based researchers, and more to join us in discussing methodologies, technological approaches, public applications, and insights gained from editing and recovery work.

Held in the context of the United States’ 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, our first conference aims to reflect on revolution as both a historical event and an ongoing process. Our theme, “Revolutions and Reflections,” fosters discussion on how editions, archives, and research collections shape our understanding of revolutionary moments, and how evolving technologies, methodologies, and public needs are reshaping the editorial landscape.

We invite interested individuals to submit proposals for papers, panels, roundtables, posters, or digital showcases by May 10, 11:59 PM EDT using this form: https://forms.gle/vTkBkAVCC3gwv6Vi7.

Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, travel and lodging costs for all accepted presenters will be covered.

Read the full Call for Proposals here.

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

There’s a lot happening at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies this spring! We’re gearing up for an exciting lineup of events and programs you won’t want to miss. Read on for the latest announcements and join us as we bring Paine’s revolutionary spirit to life in fresh and engaging ways.

• Quaff and Quill: Book Talk with Jordan Smith | April 15, 2026

• Join the ITPS at the OAH | April 17, 2026

• Quaff and Quill: Book Talk with Emily Sneff | April 22, 2026

• ITPS Director Nora Slonimsky Wins Thomas Paine Award from New Rochelle Bar Association

• ITPS Public Historian Nicole Mahoney Wins Library Company of Philadelphia Manuscript Workshop Prize

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Jordan Smith | April 15, 2026

Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a talk with Professor Jordan B. Smith (Widener University) about his new book, The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity (2025) to learn the complex history of rum, from its production to its consumption, and from its origins in the Caribbean to its impact on the Atlantic world.

It was strong. It was cheap. It was ubiquitous. Fermented and distilled from the refuse of sugar production, rum emerged in the seventeenth-century Caribbean as a new commodity. To conjure something desirable from waste, the makers, movers, and drinkers of rum arrived at its essential qualities through cross-cultural experimentation and exchange. Those profiting most from the sale of rum also relied on plantation slavery, devoured natural resources, and overlooked the physiological effects of overconsumption in their pursuit of profit. Focusing on the lived experiences of British colonists, Indigenous people, and enslaved Africans, The Invention of Rum shows how people engaged in making and consuming this commodity created a new means of profit that transformed the Atlantic world.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University, New Rochelle, NY

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

This program is produced with support from the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry and the "Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Join the ITPS at the OAH | April 17, 2026

We warmly invite you to join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a reception at the Organization of American Historians Conference on American History in Philadelphia on April 17. We’ll be in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in the Exhibit Hall at the University of Virginia Press booth (311) for a special gathering celebrating the From Pamphlets to Podcasts series. Stop by for cake and conversation with UVA Press Editor in Chief Nadine Zimmerli and series editors Nora Slonimsky and Mark Boonshoft, and learn more about exciting new titles in this innovative publication series.

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Emily Sneff | April 15, 2026

Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University, New Rochelle, NY

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

This program is produced with support from the "Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

ITPS Director Nora Slonimsky Wins Thomas Paine Award from New Rochelle Bar Association

The New Rochelle Bar Association (NRBA) awarded Professor Nora Slonimsky, Director of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and Associate Professor of History at Iona University, the annual Thomas Paine Award for 2026. This honor recognizes her outstanding “contributions in preservation and education” in New Rochelle, particularly in connection with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The NRBA will present the award to Professor Slonimsky at a gala dinner this April, attended by members of the New York State Court of Appeals, district administrative judges, and members of the local legal community. Congratulations, Professor Slonimsky!

ITPS Public Historian Nicole Mahoney Wins Library Company of Philadelphia Prize

The Program in Early American Economy and Society (PEAES) at the Library Company of Philadelphia award Professor Nicole Mahoney, Public Historian at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, the inaugural Cathy Matson Book Workshop Prize. The award supports scholars in the humanities working on book manuscripts who lack long-term or tenure-track support and provides a one-day workshop with experts in the field to help revise their dissertation into a book.

Professor Mahoney’s manuscript examines salons in New York and Philadelphia during the early republic. Inspired by Enlightenment women in France, elite American women became “salonnières,” hosting refined gatherings of aristocrats, intellectuals, and government officials in their homes. Alongside charismatic but often impoverished French émigrés of the 1790s, they drew on the aesthetics of the ancien régime to shape an emerging national political culture, one in which educated women could influence foreign and domestic leaders under the guise of genteel sociability. In doing so, salonnières created an exclusive, highly performative social world where hierarchy, deference, and distinction thrived. In short, salons made royals out of republicans.

Subscribe to Iona Histories Newsletter

Our colleagues in the Iona University History Department recently launched a new monthly newsletter with updates from faculty, students, and alumni plus book recommendations, event announcements, and important deadlines for scholarships and student opportunities.

To subscribe, click here.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on Instagram @the_itps, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Welcome to the ITPS, Jim Ambuske!

The Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) is delighted to welcome Dr. Jim Ambuske as our new Scholar in Residence. Dr. Ambuske brings a dynamic blend of digital innovation, public history leadership, and deep scholarly expertise that will greatly enrich our community.

Dr. Ambuske is Director of Digital History at More Perfect, a national civics organization. At More Perfect, he leads In Pursuit’s digital initiatives to explore the last 250 years of the American experiment. A distinguished historian of the American Revolution, Scotland, and the British Atlantic world, he is the author of numerous essays and book chapters on revolutionary America and transatlantic legal history. His work demonstrates a remarkable ability to connect rigorous scholarship with broad public engagement.

Dr. Ambuske is also widely recognized for his creative contributions to public history media. He is the creator and narrator of Worlds Turned Upside Down, a podcast that tells the story of the American Revolution as a transatlantic crisis and imperial civil war through the lives of the people who experienced it. He also co-hosted with Lynn Prince Robbins the podcast Revolutions in Retrospect about the revolutions that remade the Atlantic world, from the civil wars of 17th-century Britain to Revolutionary Haiti, and everything in between. Dr. Ambuske was the executive producer of Finding Jane Austen, a scripted podcast with scholars and historians to recreate Jane Austen’s life and world. Through these impressive digital projects, he has expanded how audiences encounter the revolutionary past.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Ambuske join the ITPS and look forward to the digital scholarship, insight, and collaboration he will bring to our programs and initiatives.

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Jacqueline Beatty | March 11, 2026

Join us for a Women’s History Month program with Professor Jacqueline Beatty (York College of Pennsylvania) about her new book In Dependence: Women and the Patriarchal State in Revolutionary America (2023) to learn about women’s agency in early America and how their dependent status – rather than their independent status – enabled them to achieve financial and legal protections.

In Dependence explores the ways in which women in Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston manipulated their legal, social, and economic positions of dependence and turned these constraints into vehicles of female empowerment. Although the law and social custom established restrictions on women’s rights and behavior, early American women were not completely powerless in their dependent state. By using legislative petitions, divorce cases, marriage settlements, equity cases, probate records, manumission deeds, freedom suits, almshouse records, and charitable institutional files, In Dependence demonstrates that women defined their relationship with the patriarchal state—the colonial, revolutionary, and early national governments and organizations helmed by elite men—in terms of their multifaceted dependencies.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: Thomas Paine Cottage Museum (20 Sicard Avenue, New Rochelle, NY), and virtually on Zoom

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

ITPS Featured in the New York Times

An article published by The New York Times on January 9, 2026, featured photographs of items held by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and reflections on the historical significance of Paine and his works from Dr. Nora Slonimsky, director of the ITPS. The article, “How Americans Learned to Love Thomas Paine,” interrogated the contested legacies of Paine and his most famous pamphlet, Common Sense, published 250 years ago in January 1776.

The Institute for Thomas Paine Studies is home to the Paine Archives, a collection of writings, records, rare editions, and material culture that illuminate Paine’s life, ideas, and afterlives. The archive serves scholars, students, and the broader public by preserving and interpreting materials that document Paine’s role in the Age of Revolutions and his enduring impact as a radical thinker and democratic philosopher. Items featured in the article underscore the depth of the collection and the Institute’s ongoing commitment to making Paine’s work accessible to new audiences.

The Times article situates Paine within a long and complicated reputation history. While Common Sense helped ignite support for American independence, Paine was later vilified by critics who viewed him as a radical and religious skeptic, and his reputation suffered for generations. Today, however, scholars note a broad reassessment: although he remains less celebrated than revolutionary figures like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, Paine has reentered (enthusiastically, we’re happy to report!) mainstream historical memory as a powerful popular voice of the American Revolution whose ideas continue to resonate across the political spectrum.

Through exhibitions, digital initiatives, public programming, and media coverage such as this article with the New York Times, the ITPS continues to foster critical conversations about Paine’s influence and the evolving meanings of Common Sense in American political culture.

To read the full article from the New York Times, click here.

Ben Franklin’s World Podcast Episode About Common Sense at 250

Ben Franklin’s World, a podcast about early American history, recently produced an episode in partnership with the ITPS examining Common Sense as the pamphlet that sparked a revolution. Historian and producer Liz Covart talked with Nora Slonimsky, director of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about Thomas Paine’s life, the networks that shaped his ideas, and the enduring impact of his writing on civic life and political discourse.

On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a fiery pamphlet that transformed colonial protest into a call for American Independence. With clear language and bold ideas, Paine challenged monarchy, championed republican government, and urged readers to envision a new political future. Common Sense became the most widely circulated political pamphlet of the American Revolution, and one of the most influential works in United States history.

As we mark the 250th anniversary of Common Sense, we may wonder about its legacy. Why did this pamphlet resonate so deeply with the American people in 1776? And what can this political tract teach us today?

To hear the answers to these questions and more, listen to the full podcast episode here.

This episode is part of a special collaboration with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and Clio Digital Media that seeks to bring Common Sense and its world to life through audio, archival collections, and digital storytelling.

Subscribe to Iona Histories Newsletter

Our colleagues in the Iona University History Department recently launched a new monthly newsletter with updates from faculty, students, and alumni plus book recommendations, event announcements, and important deadlines for scholarships and student opportunities.

To subscribe, click here.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Zara Anishanslin | January 21, 2026

The war that we now call the American Revolution was not only fought in the colonies with muskets and bayonets. On both sides of the Atlantic, artists armed with paint, canvas, and wax played an integral role in forging revolutionary ideals. Zara Anishanslin charts the intertwined lives of three such figures who dared to defy the British monarchy: Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright. From London to Boston, from Jamaica to Paris, from Bath to Philadelphia, these largely forgotten patriots boldly risked their reputations and their lives to declare independence.

Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and the Thomas Paine Cottage Museum for a talk with Professor Zara Anishanslin (University of Delaware) about her new book The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution (Harvard, 2025) to learn about an extraordinary cohort whose experiences testify to both the promise and the limits of liberty in the founding era.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: Thomas Paine Cottage Museum (20 Sicard Avenue, New Rochelle, NY), and virtually on Zoom

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

Exhibit Launch: Irish America 250: That the World May Know

Join the American Irish Historical Society for the opening of a new exhibit, running through the course of 2026, that uses the society’s archives to display the history of Irish America. 250 years after 1776, we look back on the contributions and stories of Irish emigrants and their descendants in American history. This launch will feature a brief lecture on the planned exhibit--featuring 12 themes for 2026--and a view of the January exhibit.

Tickets cost $15 for general audiences, $12 for AIHS members.

Click here for more information.

AIHS & National Library of Ireland: Cooking the Books Across the Ocean

This event is an extension of the National Library of Ireland’s Cooking the Books series, bringing this work to an American audience. NLI’s series (run by Archivists Nora Thornton and Joanne Carroll) involves reading of archival recipes and recreating them for a public audience. This event encourages the public to engage with archives through culinary practices. To bring this event to our audience at AIHS, we are hosting a combined virtual and physical event, hosted simultaneously in Dublin and New York. AIHS and NLI archivists will share versions of traditional recipes that exist in some form in both of their collections. Both will share these versions (with tastings at AIHS) and present on the differences through a shared talk.

Tickets cost $20 for general audiences, $15 for AIHS members.

Click here for more information.

Follow us on Instagram!

We’re on Instagram now! Follow us @the_itps for posts about upcoming events, scholarships and academic programs, digital humanities projects, internships, and more!

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

International Conference Marks the 250th Anniversary of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

In the winter of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, one of the defining texts of the North American movement for independence from the British empire. In this incendiary, revolutionary pamphlet, Paine coupled his famous denunciation of monarchy with a critique of empire, a radical programme for self-rule, and a principled call for a Declaration of Independence.

In its bold reimagining of democracy and representation, rights and republicanism, freedom and independence, Common Sense occupies a central position in modern political thinking. While it was a major expression of Enlightenment visions of America’s future as a prosperous democratic republic, it also shared some of its silences, particularly around slavery and territorial expansion. But Paine’s pamphlet speaks to our age too. In his famous declaration that “we have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Paine’s text considers enduring questions about civic engagement in our present-day.

Two hundred and fifty years later, this conference will consider the impact of these ideas, past and present. Hosted by Thomas Paine: Legacy at Bull House, the University of Sussex, and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University, “Common Sense at 250: Legacies of Democracy from Paine to Today” is interested in presentations that consider the topics and arguments Paine raised in Common Sense, their dissemination and impact across the Age of Revolutions, and the complex ways they resonate today.

The conference will be held in-person and virtually at the University of Sussex campus and at Bull House (Paine’s home and place of business) in Lewes from January 9th to January 10th, 2026, the actual date of the 250th anniversary Common Sense.

Click here for conference registration, details, and to read the program.

Register for Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Zara Anishanslin | January 21, 2026

The war that we now call the American Revolution was not only fought in the colonies with muskets and bayonets. On both sides of the Atlantic, artists armed with paint, canvas, and wax played an integral role in forging revolutionary ideals. Zara Anishanslin charts the intertwined lives of three such figures who dared to defy the British monarchy: Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright. From London to Boston, from Jamaica to Paris, from Bath to Philadelphia, these largely forgotten patriots boldly risked their reputations and their lives to declare independence.

Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and the Thomas Paine Cottage Museum for a talk with Professor Zara Anishanslin (University of Delaware) about her new book The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution (Harvard, 2025) to learn about an extraordinary cohort whose experiences testify to both the promise and the limits of liberty in the founding era.

Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: Thomas Paine Cottage Museum (20 Sicard Avenue, New Rochelle, NY), and virtually on Zoom

  • Click here for in person registration.

  • Click here for Zoom webinar registration.

Follow us on Instagram!

We’re on Instagram now! Follow us @the_itps for posts about upcoming events, scholarships and academic programs, digital humanities projects, internships, and more!

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Apply to Study Abroad in Southern England | Deadline is December 1, 2025

Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Whitney Nell Stewart | December 10

Join us for a conversation with historian Whitney Nell Stewart, the Executive Director of Coastal Georgia Historical Society on St. Simons Island, about her award-winning book This Is Our Home: Slavery and Struggle on Southern Plantations (2023).

This hybrid program will be hosted at the American Irish Historical Society, 991 5th Avenue, New York City, and a livestream will be made available via Zoom. Light refreshments will be served.

• DATE: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

• TIME: 6:00 - 7:00pm

• PLACE: American Irish Historical Society, 991 5th Avenue, New York City, and virtually on Zoom

Click here to register to attend the event in person at the American Irish Historical Society.

Click here to register to watch the livestream via Zoom webinar.

Follow us on Instagram!

We’re on Instagram now! Follow us @the_itps for posts about upcoming events, scholarships and academic programs, digital humanities projects, internships, and more!

Call for Applications

In the spring of 2026, the McNeil Center will inaugurate a new English paleography workshop for students enrolled at MCEAS Consortium institutions. The Lost World of Handwriting will introduce students to the skills necessary to decipher and transcribe a wide range of handwritten English texts written between 1500 and 1850. By its conclusion, students will be proficient in reading a variety of historic English handwriting styles, understand how manuscripts are preserved and cataloged, and be familiar with the conventions used to transcribe them.

Workshop Structure

This workshop will utilize a virtual structure, complemented by an in-person session at the University of Pennsylvania. The workshop will be offered in hour-long sessions, held between 3:30 and 4:30 PM ET on most Wednesdays during the spring semester, beginning on January 28, 2026. The final session of the workshop will consist of a day of activities in Philadelphia on April 15, in which students will practice writing with ink and quills and review different manuscript types held in local archives. The workshop will emphasize practical exercises completed both independently and within group settings.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Basic knowledge of secretary, italic, and round hands, and the ability to independently interpret the alphabets, orthography, brevigraphs, abbreviations, and essential diplomatics found in early modern English manuscripts.

• Basic knowledge of manuscript transcription conventions and transcription technologies, such as XML-encoding and optical character and handwritten text recognition (OCR & HTR).

Workshop Instructor

Heather Wolfe, Curator of Manuscripts at The Folger Shakespeare Library, has taught paleography for two decades and is widely recognized as the leading English paleographer in North America.

Eligibility & Application

All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at MCEAS Consortium institutions are eligible to apply to participate in this workshop. Applications are submitted by a faculty sponsor who can attest to the student’s suitability for the workshop and assist them in locating funding for travel to attend the in-person session on April 15, 2026. To apply, faculty sponsors must prepare a one-page letter of recommendation, combined with a student’s CV and unofficial transcript, and submit as a single PDF at the link below. Applications are due December 22nd, 2025.

To learn more about this and other Consortium benefits, contact Peter Olsen-Harbich, Associate Director, at peteroh@sas.upenn.edu.

Click here to submit your application.

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

Fall 2025 Quaff & Quill Book Talks

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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Join us for the Second Annual Lapidus Lecture in Paine Studies featuring Joyce Chaplin, Ph.D., the James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History in the Department of History at Harvard University. Professor Chaplin will deliver a lecture titled “Tom Paine’s Sunshine Patriotism: Telling the Truth About the Weather” on Thursday, November 6, 2025 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in Henry Lecture Hall, LaPenta School of Business, on the campus of Iona University. Attendees may also watch the lecture via Zoom webinar. A reception will follow.

For more details and to register, click here.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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We are pleased to share this month’s newsletter with you following a brief pause in our regular schedule. With the start of the new academic year, we have taken this opportunity to bring together a rich set of updates, announcements, and resources for our community. In this newsletter, you will find a series of new events and an announcement for a community program hosted by our friends at Revolutionary Westchester 250.

Also, here at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, we’re shifting away from a monthly newsletter so we can be more responsive and timely with our communication. Instead of waiting for the next issue, you’ll now receive updates and announcements from “Page of Reason” directly by email as they happen. We’re confident this new approach will help you stay more connected to our community and ensure you never miss important news or opportunities.

We are grateful for your continued engagement and look forward to fostering ongoing conversation and collaboration.

Roundtable on AI | Friday, September 19, 5:00-6:30pm

Join us for an exciting roundtable discussion as part of the program for “Taking Stock and Setting Agendas: A Workshop on Data, Digital Humanities, and Early American Studies.” Scholars from various fields will explore the intersection of the digital humanities (DH) and early American studies, historicize digital scholarship in early American studies, and consider where the field should go from here. This session of the workshop is free and open to public and features:

• Stephanie Buongiorno

• Gillian Macdonald

• Anne Mishkind

• Robert K. Nelson

• Nora Slonimsky

• Jeri E. Wieringa

WHEN: Friday, September 19 from 5:00 - 6:30pm
IN PERSON: LaPenta School of Business, Room 201, Iona University, New Rochelle, New York
ZOOM WEBINAR: https://iona.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i6cNKH4xT16tf8rYfBB_DA

The program is sponsored by Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Open U.S. History Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas, and the journal, Early American Studies.

Fall 2005 Quaff & Quill Book Talks

Rev Fest 250 | September 27 & 28, Croton Point Park

Head to the Hudson to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Revolution in Westchester! On Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, 2025, bring the family for live battle re-enactments, musical performances and historical storytelling on two stages, period-inspired demonstrations, crafts, food and travel back in time to a Westchester that was alight with patriots, loyalists and those caught in between. Free to the public.

Come to the RW250 tent both days to “Meet the Women of Revolutionary Westchester” and hear how women—enslaved and free, wealthy and tenant farmers—experienced the eight brutal years of war.

For more details and a full daily schedule, click here.

September 27 & 28, 2025
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Croton Point Park
1 Croton Point Ave.
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520

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Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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In this newsletter, you’ll find:

• New ITPS series with the University of Virginia Press

• Deadline tomorrow! Apply for the Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program by August 1, 2025

• Register for American Revolutions in the Digital Age Virtual Event Series | August 7, 2025

New ITPS Series with the University of Virginia Press

The University of Virginia Press is pleased to announce “From Pamphlets to Podcasts: An Institute for Thomas Paine Studies Series,” a new series that takes its cue from Thomas Paine, who wrote that “America … replenished the world with more useful knowledge and sounder maxims of civil government” than any other society. Books in this series will advance a new and innovative approach to scholarship on the contests over knowledge making and the pursuit of informed, democratic citizenship in Thomas Paine’s time, and about these processes’ relevance to our own.

Drs. Nora Slonimsky and Mark Boonshoft will oversee this new publishing venture, which—in collaboration with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University and generous support made possible by the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry—will provide space for emerging and established scholars alike to produce books that historicize concepts of expertise, propaganda, and information politics in democratic societies, and as such provide a much needed historical grounding for readers to understand our contemporary world of digital communication, misinformation, and heightened political polarization.

“I am thrilled at the unique opportunity presented by this wonderful partnership between the ITPS and the University of Virginia Press, a joint effort that marks the first university press series supported by Iona. ‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts’ will contribute not only the timely and important study of history of knowledge production and communication past and present, but will also facilitate the creation of new knowledge, related to countless interdisciplinary fields and audiences, inside and outside academia,” said Tricia Mulligan, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Iona University.

Added Sid Lapidus: “‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts: An Institute for Thomas Paine Studies Series’ is an important cornerstone of our efforts with Dr. Slonimsky, Dr. Mulligan, Mr. Grant, and Iona University leadership to support and expand the ITPS, and to foster scholarship and learning about Paine and the ideas he himself studied and valued. I’m delighted by this collaboration between the University of Virginia Press and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, and look forward to the exciting new publications it will produce.”

The editors seek books that interrogate both the medium and the message when they consider the broader relationship between an informed citizenry and its multiple—at times contradictory—meanings to the functioning of a republican government and society.

As Mark Boonshoft put it, “‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts’ will offer a venue for scholars to explore the changing meanings of and contests over informed citizenship in American history. As the title suggests, innovations in media technology and methods of communication have long conditioned democratic citizenship. We look forward to working with scholars from a range of disciplines working on these timely issues.”

Nora Slonimsky concurred and added, “For some time, the ITPS has considered how best to take Thomas Paine’s principles, amongst which included accessible communication, thoughtful connections between the past and present, and the importance of learning and knowledge to everyone, regardless of their background, and put them into practice. Thanks to this opportunity with UVA Press, Dr. Zimmerli, and Dr. Boonshoft along with the sponsorship of Sid Lapidus, we have the chance to consider these ideas in real time, supporting tremendous scholars from multiple disciplinary and methodological vantages that help us to more fully understand the relationship between American civic life and institutions, mediums, and modes of expression.”

This new series’ first title will be Derek Kane O’Leary’s Archival Communities: Constructing the Past in the Early United States, followed by George Oberle’s Creating an Informed Citizenry: Knowledge and Democracy in the Early American Republic.

Per Eric Brandt, director of UVA Press, “Thomas Paine’s writings such as ‘The American Crisis’ inspired a revolution grounded in the highest democratic ideals. Now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of those ideals. The press of the university founded by Thomas Jefferson, another architect of American democracy, is proud to be the publishing home for this exciting new series from Iona’s Institute for Thomas Paine Studies.”

Apply for the Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to currently enrolled Iona students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

The deadline to apply is AUGUST 1. Click here for more details.

American Revolutions in the Digital Age Virtual Event Series

The editors of and contributors to American Revolutions in the Digital Age will participate in a free, four part virtual event series this summer. Join us for conversations about how historians can use emerging technologies and AI tools to explore the past, how we can learn more about the 18th and 19 centuries, and what early America can teach us about developing digital media literacy today. You can register for the next two sessions or watch the first two recordings now!

Session 1: American Revolutions in the Digital Age

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:15pm ET – Recording Now Available

In this session, panelists will discuss how and why the fields of early American history and digital humanities have become increasingly interconnected. How have digital tools and methods changed research and interpretation of the era of the American Revolution and its historical memory?

Session 2: Public History at Historic Sites

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:00pm ET – Recording Now Available

In this session, panelists will discuss their experiences working with historic sites that interpret histories of early America. How can we use digital humanities methods to expand interpretation and increase engagement with the public?

Session 3: Slavery, Freedom, and Resistance

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:00pm ET

In this session, panelists will discuss how digital humanities expands our understanding of freedom in the revolutionary period. How do digital archives and mapping shape our ability to tell stories of place-making and freedom-seeking?

Session 4: Information Technology and Lessons from the American Revolution

Thursday, August 7, 2025 / 3:00 – 4:00pm ET – Register here

In this session, panelists will discuss media structures and information flows during the revolutionary period. What can early America teach us about developing digital media literacy today?

Closed captioning will be provided. Please contact Eleanor Mahoney (emahoney@usaconservation.org) with questions or accessibility requests.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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In this newsletter, you’ll find:

• New ITPS series with the University of Virginia Press

• Apply for the Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program by August 1, 2025

• Iona Students Participate in pAIne Workshop

• Register for American Revolutions in the Digital Age Virtual Event Series

New ITPS Series with the University of Virginia Press

The University of Virginia Press is pleased to announce “From Pamphlets to Podcasts: An Institute for Thomas Paine Studies Series,” a new series that takes its cue from Thomas Paine, who wrote that “America … replenished the world with more useful knowledge and sounder maxims of civil government” than any other society. Books in this series will advance a new and innovative approach to scholarship on the contests over knowledge making and the pursuit of informed, democratic citizenship in Thomas Paine’s time, and about these processes’ relevance to our own.

Drs. Nora Slonimsky and Mark Boonshoft will oversee this new publishing venture, which—in collaboration with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University and generous support made possible by the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry—will provide space for emerging and established scholars alike to produce books that historicize concepts of expertise, propaganda, and information politics in democratic societies, and as such provide a much needed historical grounding for readers to understand our contemporary world of digital communication, misinformation, and heightened political polarization.

“I am thrilled at the unique opportunity presented by this wonderful partnership between the ITPS and the University of Virginia Press, a joint effort that marks the first university press series supported by Iona. ‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts’ will contribute not only the timely and important study of history of knowledge production and communication past and present, but will also facilitate the creation of new knowledge, related to countless interdisciplinary fields and audiences, inside and outside academia,” said Tricia Mulligan, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Iona University.

Added Sid Lapidus: “‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts: An Institute for Thomas Paine Studies Series’ is an important cornerstone of our efforts with Dr. Slonimsky, Dr. Mulligan, Mr. Grant, and Iona University leadership to support and expand the ITPS, and to foster scholarship and learning about Paine and the ideas he himself studied and valued. I’m delighted by this collaboration between the University of Virginia Press and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, and look forward to the exciting new publications it will produce.”

The editors seek books that interrogate both the medium and the message when they consider the broader relationship between an informed citizenry and its multiple—at times contradictory—meanings to the functioning of a republican government and society.

As Mark Boonshoft put it, “‘From Pamphlets to Podcasts’ will offer a venue for scholars to explore the changing meanings of and contests over informed citizenship in American history. As the title suggests, innovations in media technology and methods of communication have long conditioned democratic citizenship. We look forward to working with scholars from a range of disciplines working on these timely issues.”

Nora Slonimsky concurred and added, “For some time, the ITPS has considered how best to take Thomas Paine’s principles, amongst which included accessible communication, thoughtful connections between the past and present, and the importance of learning and knowledge to everyone, regardless of their background, and put them into practice. Thanks to this opportunity with UVA Press, Dr. Zimmerli, and Dr. Boonshoft along with the sponsorship of Sid Lapidus, we have the chance to consider these ideas in real time, supporting tremendous scholars from multiple disciplinary and methodological vantages that help us to more fully understand the relationship between American civic life and institutions, mediums, and modes of expression.”

This new series’ first title will be Derek Kane O’Leary’s Archival Communities: Constructing the Past in the Early United States, followed by George Oberle’s Creating an Informed Citizenry: Knowledge and Democracy in the Early American Republic.

Per Eric Brandt, director of UVA Press, “Thomas Paine’s writings such as ‘The American Crisis’ inspired a revolution grounded in the highest democratic ideals. Now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of those ideals. The press of the university founded by Thomas Jefferson, another architect of American democracy, is proud to be the publishing home for this exciting new series from Iona’s Institute for Thomas Paine Studies.”

Apply for the Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will help students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to currently enrolled Iona students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

The deadline to apply is AUGUST 1. Click here for more details.

Iona Students Participate in pAIne Workshop

Over the course of three days on campus at the end of May, five Iona undergraduate students participated in an advanced and exciting artificial intelligence (AI) project with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies. Together with graduate students in publishing at Portland State University, students from computer science, English, history, finance, and business departments helped build a custom AI chat bot or, as they affectionately called it, “pAIne.”

Built exclusively with items from the Thomas Paine National Historical Association (TPNHA) archive here at Iona, students first selected individual items, from letters and books to images, objects, and even an empty metal box, from a new database. With the support of the Iona library team, students photographed, transcribed, and described their selected sources, then the transcriptions were uploaded to the custom AI program. Having reverse engineered the program, it was altered to only allow for information from the TPNHA collection. The result was a fascinating first step in what we hope is an ongoing collaboration and research and educational tool that highlights Paine’s contributions in the past as a way to better navigate AI and its impact on our present.

American Revolutions in the Digital Age Virtual Event Series

The editors of and contributors to American Revolutions in the Digital Age will participate in a free, four part virtual event series this summer. Join us for conversations about how historians can use emerging technologies and AI tools to explore the past, how we can learn more about the 18th and 19 centuries, and what early America can teach us about developing digital media literacy today. You can register for the next two sessions or watch the first two recordings now!

Session 1: American Revolutions in the Digital Age

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:15pm ET – Recording Now Available

In this session, panelists will discuss how and why the fields of early American history and digital humanities have become increasingly interconnected. How have digital tools and methods changed research and interpretation of the era of the American Revolution and its historical memory?

Session 2: Public History at Historic Sites

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:00pm ET – Recording Now Available

In this session, panelists will discuss their experiences working with historic sites that interpret histories of early America. How can we use digital humanities methods to expand interpretation and increase engagement with the public?

Session 3: Slavery, Freedom, and Resistance

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 / 3:00pm – 4:00pm ET – Register Here

In this session, panelists will discuss how digital humanities expands our understanding of freedom in the revolutionary period. How do digital archives and mapping shape our ability to tell stories of place-making and freedom-seeking?

Session 4: Information Technology and Lessons from the American Revolution

Thursday, August 7, 2025 / 3:00 – 4:00pm ET – Register here

In this session, panelists will discuss media structures and information flows during the revolutionary period. What can early America teach us about developing digital media literacy today?

Closed captioning will be provided. Please contact Eleanor Mahoney (emahoney@usaconservation.org) with questions or accessibility requests.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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In this newsletter, you’ll find:

• New Thomas Paine Ambassadors program for Iona students

• CFP: Taking Stock and Setting Agendas | Deadline extended to June 1, 2025

• CFP: Common Sense at 250 | Due June 15, 2025

• New Rochelle Thomas Paine Day | June 8 from 3:00 - 6:00pm

New Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program for Iona Students

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will hekp students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to currently enrolled Iona students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

The deadline to apply is AUGUST 1. Click here for more details.

Taking Stock and Setting Agendas:
A Workshop on Data, Digital Humanities,
and Early American Studies

CALL FOR PAPERS

Co-sponsored by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies,
the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, and Early American Studies
September 19th – September 20th, 2025
Iona University, New Rochelle, New York, and Virtually

Over thirty years of digitally informed scholarship have proven that the digital humanities have much to offer the field of early American studies. The Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Open U.S. History Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas, and the journal, Early American Studies, invite proposals for a workshop exploring the intersection of the digital humanities (DH) and early American studies. The hybrid workshop will be held in person at the campus of Iona University in New Rochelle, New York, and virtually through Zoom from Friday, September 19th, 2025, to Saturday, September 20th, 2025.

Participants in the workshop will precirculate papers of approximately 5,000 words and be expected to read and comment on the work of three other participants. All papers will be considered for publication in a special issue of Early American Studies that will attempt to both historicize digital scholarship in early American studies and consider where the field should go from here. We welcome scholars from a host of disciplines including, but not limited to: literature and literary studies, history, computer science, anthropology, religious studies, art history, library and information science, area studies, communication, Native American and Indigenous studies, geography, media studies, and all others who explore how the digital humanities offer new insights to the study of early America.

Proposals should fall into one of two categories: 1) “taking stock,” or reflections, broadly defined, on different aspects of digitally informed scholarship in the field of early American studies, and 2) “setting agendas” or considerations of where to go next. Accepted participants in both categories will be expected to submit papers of approximately 5,000 words by August 1, 2025.

Authors who contribute to the “Taking Stock” section will write surveys of how scholars have used a given digital method or tool over the last several decades. Examples of these methods or tools may include digital mapping, text mining, data visualization, network analysis, augmented/virtual reality, digital curation, podcasting, transcription, artificial intelligence, and more. We envision these pieces as examinations of the use of these methods across the field of early American studies, not as individual project profiles.

Authors who write for “Setting Agendas” will write argument-driven, “thought” essays which use the digital humanities to offer a scholarly intervention in the field of early American Studies or pieces that demonstrate how deeper insights into early America change our understanding of the digital world. We envision these papers as more future-oriented works.

To submit a proposal, please send a single document including a brief biographical statement and abstract of no more than 300 words in one document to bgw@utdallas.edu by June 1, 2025. We will notify presenters of acceptance by June 15th, 2025. The program committee includes the editors of Early American Studies, Rosalind J. Beiler, University of Central Florida, and Judith Ridner, Mississippi State University; along with Emma Hart and Peter Olsen-Harbich of the McNeil Center and the University of Pennsylvania; Mark Boonshoft, Virginia Military Institute; Nora Slonimsky, Iona University and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies; and Ben Wright, the University of Texas at Dallas and the Open U.S. History Lab.

Join us for a dynamic conversation on the evolving relationship between the digital humanities and Early American Studies. We look forward to your contributions!

For inquiries, please contact Ben Wright at bgw@utdallas.edu.

Common Sense at 250: Legacies of Democracy from Paine to Today

CALL FOR PAPERS

January 9 – 10, 2026
Virtually and in-person in Lewes and Sussex, England

With keynotes from Dr. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University,
and Professor Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London

In the winter of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, one of the defining texts of the North American movement for independence from the British empire. In this incendiary, revolutionary pamphlet, Paine coupled his famous denunciation of monarchy with a critique of empire, a radical programme for self-rule, and a principled call for a Declaration of Independence.

In its bold reimagining of democracy and representation, rights and republicanism, freedom and independence, Common Sense occupies a central position in modern political thinking. While it was a major expression of Enlightenment visions of America’s future as a prosperous democratic republic, it also shared some of its silences, particularly around slavery and territorial expansion. But Paine’s pamphlet speaks to our age too. In his famous declaration that “we have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Paine’s text considers enduring questions about civic engagement in our present-day.

Two hundred and fifty years later, this conference will consider the impact of these ideas, past and present. Hosted by Thomas Paine: Legacy at Bull House, the University of Sussex, and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University, “Common Sense at 250: Legacies of Democracy from Paine to Today” is interested in presentations that consider the topics and arguments Paine raised in Common Sense, their dissemination and impact across the Age of Revolutions, and the complex ways they resonate today.

The organizers encourage applicants to take as broad an approach as possible to these themes, including perspectives from Paine’s contemporaries in the print trade and revolutionary cause, as well as those from different backgrounds, including women, enslaved and free people of color, Indigenous Americans, and other disenfranchised communities around the Atlantic world.

The conference will be held in-person and virtually at the University of Sussex campus and at Bull House (Paine’s home and place of business) in Lewes from January 9^th to January 10^th, 2026, the actual date of the 250^th anniversary Common Sense.

“Common Sense at 250” is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry at the ITPS and the Centres for American Studies, Social & Political Thought and Intellectual History at the University of Sussex. Possible presentations can include traditional papers and roundtables along with posters, digital humanities projects, performances, and other artistic exhibits. We are especially eager for a wide range of disciplinary perspectives and welcome proposals from history, public history, museum studies, literature, political science, archaeology, visual and performing arts, library and information science, archival studies, digital humanities and data science, amongst others.

Please submit a 300-word abstract and 250-word bio as one document by June 15, 2025, to ITPS@iona.edu.

Modest travel support may be available to facilitate travel to the conference, and we ask that applicants include any need for support in their proposals.

Please direct any questions to the conference organizers, Ms. Leanne O’Boyle, Dr. Iain McDaniel, and Dr. Nora Slonimsky at leanne.oboyle@thomaspainelegacy.org, I.R.Mcdaniel@sussex.ac.uk, and nslonimsky@iona.edu.

New Rochelle Thomas Paine Day

Hosted by the Thomas Paine Historical Association, the second annual Thomas Paine Day celebration will be held on Sunday, June 8 from 3:00 to 6:00pm at the Thomas Paine Memorial Building at 983 North Avenue in New Rochelle, New York.

The first part of the program, “Thomas Paine: Prose and Poetry - Advancing the Cause of Democracy,” will feature remarks, readings, and performances related to the legacy of Thomas Paine. The schedule includes:

• Lisa Burton, Board of the Thomas Paine Historical Association – Welcome

• Gary Berton, President, TPHA – A Preview of the New Collected Writings of Thomas Paine

• Remarks by invited elected officials

• Scott Cleary, Professor of English, Iona University - Selected Poems of Thomas Paine

• Tutti Bravi Productions - Musical selections from Common Sense: The Story of Thomas Paine

Stay for the second part of the program to enjoy music by the Brian Carter Jazz Quartet, exhibitions inside the Memorial Building, and light refreshments.

For more information, please see the Thomas Paine Historical Association website here.

Subscribe now

Share

Page of Reason is the newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. Learn more about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal. You can follow us on X @TheITPS, BlueSky @theitps.bsky.social, and Mastodon @ITPS@historians.social.

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In this newsletter, you’ll find:

• Book talk with Jeanne Sheehan Zaino | May 1 at 12:00pm

• New Thomas Paine Ambassadors program for Iona students

• CFP: Taking Stock and Setting Agendas | Due May 15, 2025

• CFP: Common Sense at 250 | Due June 15, 2025

Book talk with Jeanne Sheehan Zaino

Thursday, May 1, 2025
Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University
12:00-1:30pm
Free
Watch via Zoom here

Join us for a discussion of Professor Jeanne Sheehan Zaino’s new book (Primus Press) about one of the most underappreciated figures in 20th Century South Asian history and politics, Sikander Hyat-Khan. In honor of Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage month the History, ITPS (Institute for Thomas Paine Studies), Office of the Provost and COD, Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), & Political Science/International Studies Departments are proud to sponsor this book talk – moderated by Prof. Josh Leon – which challenges us to reflect on what we know about the figures who participated in the struggle for independence and freedom in South Asia.

All students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.

Dr. Sheehan Zaino is the author most recently of Sikander Hyat-Khan: Collected Papers of the Premier of United Punjab, 1928-1942 (Primus) and professor in the Political Science Department.

New Thomas Paine Ambassadors Program for Iona Students

Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Paine, the Thomas Paine Ambassadors program will hekp students develop skills that are essential for twenty-first century scholarly and professional paths, whether in law, policy, data science and information literacy, social and digital media, or history and advocacy.

Up to five Thomas Paine Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in four (4) mandatory programs with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) over the course of an academic year both on and off campus, including public lectures and field trips. Ambassadors will also enroll in a specialized course on public and digital history (DH 210 offered every spring semester). As Ambassadors, students will also have the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships in public history, digital history, and other fields that reflect Thomas Paine’s legacies.

This opportunity is open to currently enrolled Iona students in good academic standing who have at least two semesters left in their undergraduate years at Iona. Students in all academic disciplines and majors are welcome to apply.

The deadline to apply is AUGUST 1. Click here for more details.

Taking Stock and Setting Agendas:
A Workshop on Data, Digital Humanities,
and Early American Studies

CALL FOR PAPERS

Co-sponsored by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies,
the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, and Early American Studies
September 19th – September 20th, 2025
Iona University, New Rochelle, New York, and Virtually

Over thirty years of digitally informed scholarship have proven that the digital humanities have much to offer the field of early American studies. The Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Open U.S. History Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas, and the journal, Early American Studies, invite proposals for a workshop exploring the intersection of the digital humanities (DH) and early American studies. The hybrid workshop will be held in person at the campus of Iona University in New Rochelle, New York, and virtually through Zoom from Friday, September 19th, 2025, to Saturday, September 20th, 2025.

Participants in the workshop will precirculate papers of approximately 5,000 words and be expected to read and comment on the work of three other participants. All papers will be considered for publication in a special issue of Early American Studies that will attempt to both historicize digital scholarship in early American studies and consider where the field should go from here. We welcome scholars from a host of disciplines including, but not limited to: literature and literary studies, history, computer science, anthropology, religious studies, art history, library and information science, area studies, communication, Native American and Indigenous studies, geography, media studies, and all others who explore how the digital humanities offer new insights to the study of early America.

Proposals should fall into one of two categories: 1) “taking stock,” or reflections, broadly defined, on different aspects of digitally informed scholarship in the field of early American studies, and 2) “setting agendas” or considerations of where to go next. Accepted participants in both categories will be expected to submit papers of approximately 5,000 words by August 1, 2025.

Authors who contribute to the “Taking Stock” section will write surveys of how scholars have used a given digital method or tool over the last several decades. Examples of these methods or tools may include digital mapping, text mining, data visualization, network analysis, augmented/virtual reality, digital curation, podcasting, transcription, artificial intelligence, and more. We envision these pieces as examinations of the use of these methods across the field of early American studies, not as individual project profiles.

Authors who write for “Setting Agendas” will write argument-driven, “thought” essays which use the digital humanities to offer a scholarly intervention in the field of early American Studies or pieces that demonstrate how deeper insights into early America change our understanding of the digital world. We envision these papers as more future-oriented works.

To submit a proposal, please send a single document including a brief biographical statement and abstract of no more than 300 words in one document to bgw@utdallas.edu by May 15th, 2025. We will notify presenters of acceptance by June 15th, 2025. The program committee includes the editors of Early American Studies, Rosalind J. Beiler, University of Central Florida, and Judith Ridner, Mississippi State University; along with Emma Hart and Peter Olsen-Harbich of the McNeil Center and the University of Pennsylvania; Mark Boonshoft, Virginia Military Institute; Nora Slonimsky, Iona University and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies; and Ben Wright, the University of Texas at Dallas and the Open U.S. History Lab.

Join us for a dynamic conversation on the evolving relationship between the digital humanities and Early American Studies. We look forward to your contributions!

For inquiries, please contact Ben Wright at bgw@utdallas.edu.

Common Sense at 250: Legacies of Democracy from Paine to Today

CALL FOR PAPERS

January 9 – 10, 2026
Virtually and in-person in Lewes and Sussex, England

With keynotes from Dr. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Harvard University,
and Professor Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway, University of London

In the winter of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, one of the defining texts of the North American movement for independence from the British empire. In this incendiary, revolutionary pamphlet, Paine coupled his famous denunciation of monarchy with a critique of empire, a radical programme for self-rule, and a principled call for a Declaration of Independence.

In its bold reimagining of democracy and representation, rights and republicanism, freedom and independence, Common Sense occupies a central position in modern political thinking. While it was a major expression of Enlightenment visions of America’s future as a prosperous democratic republic, it also shared some of its silences, particularly around slavery and territorial expansion. But Paine’s pamphlet speaks to our age too. In his famous declaration that “we have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Paine’s text considers enduring questions about civic engagement in our present-day.

Two hundred and fifty years later, this conference will consider the impact of these ideas, past and present. Hosted by Thomas Paine: Legacy at Bull House, the University of Sussex, and the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona University, “Common Sense at 250: Legacies of Democracy from Paine to Today” is interested in presentations that consider the topics and arguments Paine raised in Common Sense, their dissemination and impact across the Age of Revolutions, and the complex ways they resonate today.

The organizers encourage applicants to take as broad an approach as possible to these themes, including perspectives from Paine’s contemporaries in the print trade and revolutionary cause, as well as those from different backgrounds, including women, enslaved and free people of color, Indigenous Americans, and other disenfranchised communities around the Atlantic world.

The conference will be held in-person and virtually at the University of Sussex campus and at Bull House (Paine’s home and place of business) in Lewes from January 9^th to January 10^th, 2026, the actual date of the 250^th anniversary Common Sense.

“Common Sense at 250” is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry at the ITPS and the Centres for American Studies, Social & Political Thought and Intellectual History at the University of Sussex. Possible presentations can include traditional papers and roundtables along with posters, digital humanities projects, performances, and other artistic exhibits. We are especially eager for a wide range of disciplinary perspectives and welcome proposals from history, public history, museum studies, literature, political science, archaeology, visual and performing arts, library and information science, archival studies, digital humanities and data science, amongst others.

Please submit a 300-word abstract and 250-word bio as one document by June 15, 2025, to ITPS@iona.edu.

Modest travel support may be available to facilitate travel to the conference, and we ask that applicants include any need for support in their proposals.

Please direct any questions to the conference organizers, Ms. Leanne O’Boyle, Dr. Iain McDaniel, and Dr. Nora Slonimsky at leanne.oboyle@thomaspainelegacy.org, I.R.Mcdaniel@sussex.ac.uk, and nslonimsky@iona.edu.

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