America’s First Newspaper Leak: Tom Paine and the Disclosure of Secret French Aid to the United States Dr.
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America’s First Newspaper Leak: Tom Paine and the Disclosure of Secret French Aid to the United States Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D., J.D. School of Journalism Middle Tennessee State University Dramatis Personae Pierre A. Caron de Beaumarchais Writer (Marriage of Figaro) Low-level businessman Charles Gravier, count of Vergennes French foreign minister Conrad Gerard First accredited French diplomat to U.S. Silas Deane Commissioner to France Businessman British spy? 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM William Bingham Former secretary to Foreign Affairs Committee Congressional agent in Martinique Henry Laurens President of Continental Congress Arthur Lee Commissioner to France Thomas Paine (Common Sense) Secretary, Foreign Affairs Committee Newspaper writer John Dunlap Editor, Pennsylvania Packet Printer, Declaration of Independence 2 Pierre A. Caron de Beaumarchais Writer (Marriage of Figaro) Low-level businessman 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 3 Charles Gravier, count of Vergennes Foreign minister 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 4 Conrad Gerard First accredited minister to U.S. 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 5 Silas Deane Commissioner to France Businessman Spy for the British? 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 6 William Bingham Former secretary to Foreign Affairs Committee Congressional agent in Martinique 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 7 Henry Laurens President of Continental Congress 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 8 Arthur Lee Commissioner to France 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 9 Thomas Paine (Common Sense) Secretary, Foreign Affairs Committee Newspaper writer 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 10 John Dunlap Editor, Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser Printer, Declaration of Independence 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 11 Thomas Paine January 29, 1737 – Born in Thetford, Norfolk, England 1776 – 500,000 copies of Common Sense sold 1776 –The Crisis Papers 1787 – Goes to England 1791 – The Rights of Man ; indicted for treason 1792 – Escaped to France; imprisoned for treason 1794 – The Age of Reason 1802 – Returned to the United States June 8, 1809 – Died penniless in New Rochelle, New York 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 12 “Invoice” (Arthur Lee) Comte de Vergennes $ $ Guns Beaumarchais (Roderique Hortalez Co.) Lost (Captured by British?) Guns Invoice (Deane) Deane Guns 2/3 lost William Bingham (Martinique) 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM Tobacco Guns Continental Congress/ Continental Army 13 Chronology Dec. 8, 1777 Deane Recalled Dec. 5, 1778 Deane goes public Dec. 9, 1778 Laurens resigns Dec. 15, 1778 Paine’s first response Jan. 2, 1779 Paine: “The supplies…were…a present” Jan. 2, 1779 Gerard demands retraction; tries to bribe Paine Jan. 4, 1779 Gerard tells Congress the weapons were part of a business transaction Jan. 6, 1779 John Dunlap ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 6, 1779 Paine ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 8, 1779 Paine resigns Jan. 12, 1779 Congress disavows Paine’s letters 1781 Paine goes to France and secures weapons 1782 Congress agrees to secretly pay Paine for his work 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 14 Silas Deane letter to the Pennsylvania Packet, Dec. 5, 1778 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 15 Chronology Dec. 8, 1777 Deane Recalled Dec. 5, 1778 Deane goes public Dec. 9, 1778 Laurens resigns Dec. 15, 1778 Paine’s first response Jan. 2, 1779 Paine: “The supplies…were…a present” Jan. 2, 1779 Gerard demands retraction; tries to bribe Paine Jan. 4, 1779 Gerard tells Congress the weapons were part of a business transaction Jan. 6, 1779 John Dunlap ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 6, 1779 Paine ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 8, 1779 Paine resigns Jan. 12, 1779 Congress disavows Paine’s letters 1781 Paine goes to France and secures weapons 1782 Congress agrees to secretly pay Paine for his work 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 16 Thomas Paine letter to the Pennsylvania Packet, Jan. 2, 1779 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 17 Chronology Dec. 8, 1777 Deane Recalled Dec. 5, 1778 Deane goes public Dec. 9, 1778 Laurens resigns Dec. 15, 1778 Paine’s first response Jan. 2, 1779 Paine: “The supplies…were…a present” Jan. 2, 1779 Gerard demands retraction; tries to bribe Paine Jan. 4, 1779 Gerard tells Congress the weapons were part of a business transaction Jan. 6, 1779 John Dunlap ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 6, 1779 Paine ordered to appear before Congress Jan. 8, 1779 Paine resigns Jan. 12, 1779 Congress disavows Paine’s letters 1781 Paine goes to France and secures weapons 1782 Congress agrees to secretly pay Paine for his work 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 18 War of Words Newspaper Articles Letters Nov. 22, 1775June 12, 1784 54 52 Dec. 5, 1778Jan. 8, 1779 21 18 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 19 Results First resignation by a president (Laurens) First forced resignation by a government official First Congressional investigation of a newspaper (Pennsylvania Packet and John Dunlap) First investigation of confidential source Congress split along regional and economic lines: Northern merchants vs. Southern landowners 11/6/2015 4:50:24 AM 20 America’s First Newspaper Leak: Tom Paine and the Disclosure of Secret French Aid to the United States Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D., J.D. School of Journalism Middle Tennessee State University