Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D., J.D. School of Journalism Middle Tennessee State University
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Transcript of Dr. Larry L. Burriss, Ph.D., J.D. School of Journalism Middle Tennessee State University
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
04/22/23 08:55 AM 2
Dramatis PersonaePierre A. Caron de Beaumarchais
Writer (Marriage of Figaro)Low-level businessman
Charles Gravier, count of VergennesFrench foreign minister
Conrad GerardFirst accredited French diplomat to U.S.
Silas DeaneCommissioner to FranceBusinessmanBritish spy?
William BinghamFormer secretary to Foreign Affairs CommitteeCongressional agent in Martinique
Henry LaurensPresident of Continental Congress
Arthur LeeCommissioner to France
Thomas Paine (Common Sense)Secretary, Foreign Affairs CommitteeNewspaper writer
John DunlapEditor, Pennsylvania PacketPrinter, Declaration of Independence
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Pierre A. Caron de BeaumarchaisWriter (Marriage of Figaro)Low-level businessman
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Charles Gravier, count of VergennesForeign minister
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Conrad GerardFirst accredited minister to U.S.
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Silas DeaneCommissioner to FranceBusinessman
Spy for the British?
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William BinghamFormer secretary to Foreign Affairs CommitteeCongressional agent in Martinique
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Henry LaurensPresident of Continental Congress
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Arthur LeeCommissioner to France
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Thomas Paine (Common Sense)Secretary, Foreign Affairs CommitteeNewspaper writer
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John DunlapEditor, Pennsylvania Packet and Daily AdvertiserPrinter, Declaration of Independence
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Thomas Paine
January 29, 1737 – Born in Thetford, Norfolk, England1776 – 500,000 copies of Common Sense sold1776 –The Crisis Papers1787 – Goes to England1791 – The Rights of Man ; indicted for treason1792 – Escaped to France; imprisoned for treason1794 – The Age of Reason1802 – Returned to the United StatesJune 8, 1809 – Died penniless in New Rochelle, New York
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Comte de Vergennes
Beaumarchais(Roderique Hortalez Co.)
$ Guns$
William Bingham(Martinique)
Deane
Guns
Guns Tobacco
Continental Congress/Continental Army
Guns
Invoice(Deane)
Lost (Captured by British?)
“Invoice”(Arthur Lee)
2/3 lost
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ChronologyDec. 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
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Silas Deane letter to the Pennsylvania Packet, Dec. 5, 1778
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ChronologyDec. 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
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Thomas Paine letter to the Pennsylvania Packet, Jan. 2, 1779
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ChronologyDec. 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
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War of Words
Newspaper Articles Letters
Nov. 22, 1775- June 12, 1784 54 52
Dec. 5, 1778-Jan. 8, 1779
21 18
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Results
First resignation by a president (Laurens)First forced resignation by a government officialFirst Congressional investigation of a newspaper
(Pennsylvania Packet and John Dunlap)First investigation of confidential sourceCongress split along regional and economic lines:
Northern merchants vs. Southern landowners
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