Eat, Drink & Be Literary! Thomas Paine and Common Sense From 1776 to 2026

How Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ ideals inspired the Revolution against tyranny in 1776—and can inspire Americans to defend freedom today. Kicking off a special Eat, Drink & Be Literary! Founders Series will be an evening focusing on the life and work of Thomas Paine, an Englishman whose 1776 phamplet Common Sense changed the course of history by inspiring Americans to resist tyranny and providing Thomas Jefferson the rhetorical framework for the Declaration of Independence . Three of the co-authors of Common Sense in The Age of Trump —a historian, state senator and mayor and all citizens of Delaware—the first state to ratify the Constitution—will speak about Paine's life, how he became the pivotal influencer and agitator for Revolution, how his words 250 years ago have shaped America's past—and how his ideals remain critical during today's unprecedented threats to our foundations of democracy and freedom. Just as Paine's 1776 fact-based opus clearly and consisely revealed the injustice of monarchy and hereditary succession, the authors have come together to identify—and offer common sense remedies—to the threats to democracy that America now faces, and to underscore the words of Paine that "The cause of America is, in a great measure, the cause of all mankind." Common Sense in The Age of Trump has just been released to wide acclaim and copies will be available for purchase and signing. Lead author RONALD K.L. COLLINS is a retired law professor and author or coauthor of 58 books. A law clerk to Oregon Supreme Court Justice Hans Linde he also served as a Supreme Court fellow to Chief Justice Warren Burger. He is the Distinguished Lecturer for the Lewes, Delaware, Public Library. PAUL M. SPARROW is a writer and historical consultant; formerly director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, a deputy director and senior vice president at the Newseum, an Emmy award–winning television producer and author of Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh (2024). RUSSELL W. HUXTABLE is a Delaware state senator and former nonprofit leader whose work has focused on affordable housing, capacity building, and expanding opportunities so communities can thrive. He believes democracy as a shared responsibility. AMY L. MARASCO is an accomplished public servant who builds consensus and common-sense solutions. She served on the Hillsboro, Virginia, Town Council and was vice mayor before moving to Lewes, Delaware, where she became the first woman mayor, in the First Town in America's First State. She is the coauthor of 437 Years Ago, the Seeds of Dissent Stirred in Lewes , published on the National Constitution Center website in August 2025. Tickets: $15 in Advance/$20 at the Door Reserved tables for 4: $54 Reserved tables for 6: $84 Hors d'oeurvres Served/Local Beers and Wines on Sale Doors and The Gap Bar open at 3 p.m./Program begins at 4 p.m. Presented by The Town of Hillsboro & The Hillsboro Preservation Foundation Praise for Common Sense in The Age of Trump : “The times, as Tom Paine wrote, have found us. All over the world, corruption and authoritarianism are running amok while freedom and democracy are under attack. The authors of this book ask us to stand with them to defend our country, our freedom, and the rule of law."— U.S. Congressman JAMIE RASKIN “A passionate defense of constitutional democracy and the freedoms it protects. Its critique of authoritarianism is matched by a deep faith in freedom of expression, the rule of law, and the power of engaged citizens to hold leaders accountable. Timely, thought-provoking, and deeply patriotic, this book is a call to civic engagement at a moment when democracy itself is being tested.” —ANTHONY D. ROMERO, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union