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Primary sourcePaintingc. January 1793

The End of Pain (Paine Hanged, 1793 Caricature)

T.O. (unidentified) · c. January 1793

An 1793 British satirical print showing Paine hanged in effigy, reflecting hostile public opinion during his trial for seditious writing.

This hostile caricature imagines Paine's execution, showing the extreme danger and hatred his writings provoked among opponents.

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Hand-colored 1793 caricature print showing a man with curly hair and a green coat and yellow waistcoat hanging by a noose from a bracket. The bracket post reads 'Rights of This Man'. A devil-like figure peers from behind the post. A shield labeled 'Common Sense' and a lantern hang at right. Signed 'T.O. Fecit 1793'.
T.O. Fecit, The End of Pain, c. January 1793. Satirical print depicting Thomas Paine hanged.

About this source

What it is

This hand-colored etching, signed "T.O. Fecit" and dated around January 1793, shows a man's head and shoulders dangling by a noose from a lamp-bracket. The bracket post is inscribed "Rights of This Man." A devil-like head looks down from behind the post, and a shield marked "Common Sense" hangs nearby.

Why it matters

This caricature was created during Thomas Paine's trial in Britain for seditious writing, after the publication of his pamphlet Rights of Man. It shows the extreme hostility some British audiences felt toward Paine, imagining his execution as punishment for his political and revolutionary ideas, referencing both Rights of Man and his earlier pamphlet Common Sense.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the artist chose to show Paine hanged rather than simply criticized in words?
  • What does the devil-like figure suggest about how the artist wanted Paine to be seen?
  • What does this print reveal about the risks faced by writers who challenged government and monarchy at the time?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Paine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the 1776 Philadelphia pamphlet Common Sense, addressed to the Inhabitants of America, printed by R. Bell in Third Street. Handwritten annotations include a name in the top corner and Thomas Paine's name near the bottom.Book

Primary source

Common Sense

Thomas Paine · 10 January 1776

Photograph of the first page of a printed 1776 pamphlet titled The American Crisis, Number I, by Thomas Paine, with handwritten annotations at the top reading 'by Thomas Paine' and 'published in the Penn. Journal' and 'June 1776'. The printed text begins 'These are the times that try men's souls.'Book

Primary source

The American Crisis

Thomas Paine · 1776-1783

Title page of Rights of Man, reading 'Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution, by Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and Author of the Work Intitled Common Sense. London: Printed for J. S. Jordan, No. 166, Fleet-Street. MDCCXCI.' Handwritten ink marks appear in the upper right corner.Book

Primary source

Rights of Man

Thomas Paine · 1791-1792

Title page of The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Text reads: 'The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. By Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and author of the works entitled Common Sense, and Rights of Man, &c. Paris: Printed by Barrois. London: Sold by D. I. Eaton, at the Cock and Swine, No. 74, Newgate-street. 1794. Price two shillings.'Book

Primary source

The Age of Reason

Thomas Paine · 1794-1807

Scan of the engrossed Declaration of Independence on aged parchment. Heading reads 'In Congress, July 4, 1776' with the title 'The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America' below. Dense handwritten text fills the page; signatures appear at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Declaration of Independence

Continental Congress (drafted by Thomas Jefferson) · 1776

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