The Case of the Officers of Excise

What it is

The Case of the Officers of Excise is a 12-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1772, during his time as an excise officer in England. It is held by the British Library. Paine had 4,000 copies printed and distributed to Parliament and others over the winter.

Why it matters

This was Paine's first political work, written before he emigrated to America. It argues for better pay and working conditions for excise officers, showing Paine's early experience as a campaigner for ordinary workers' rights. It reveals the lower-middle-class English background Paine came from before he became known as a revolutionary writer in America.

Look closer

• What reasons does Paine give for why excise officers deserve better pay?
• How might this early campaigning experience have shaped his later political writing?
• Why would Paine distribute thousands of copies himself rather than rely only on Parliament to read his case?