Secondary sourceNewspaper article6 June 1914

Truth Seeker magazine cover honouring Thomas Paine, June 1914

The Truth Seeker (article by W. M. van der Weyde) · 6 June 1914

A June 1914 front page of The Truth Seeker headlined 'The Paine Monument', with an article by W. M. van der Weyde and photos of the monument and bust.

A 1914 cover about the Paine monument, showing how the freethought press kept Paine's memory in public view long after his death.

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Front page of The Truth Seeker newspaper, New York, June 6, 1914, Vol. 41 No. 23. Headline reads 'The Paine Monument', with an article by W. M. van der Weyde, a portrait of Gilbert Vale, and photos of the Paine monument and bust. — The Truth Seeker, front page, 6 June 1914. Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of the publisher Roderick Bradford.

About this source

What it is

This is the front page of The Truth Seeker, New York, dated 6 June 1914 (Vol. 41 No. 23). The headline reads 'The Paine Monument'. The page includes an article by W. M. van der Weyde, a portrait of Gilbert Vale, and photographs of the Paine monument and a bust. The cover is held on Wikimedia Commons, with permission from the publisher.

Why it matters

The cover was printed more than a century after Paine's death in 1809, so it is a later commemoration rather than a contemporary account. Its focus on a monument shows how Paine was honoured in public memory. Gilbert Vale and W. M. van der Weyde, both named on the page, were writers connected with the freethought press of their time.

Look closer

Why might a newspaper give a whole front page to a monument?
What does the choice of named writers and a portrait tell you about who the paper wanted readers to trust?
What might this page leave out about how Paine's reputation was disputed?

This newspaper article 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.