Historedia
Person

Joseph Johnson

Events
1
Episodes
6
Years
1791

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Joseph Johnson, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Publication of Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

    1791

    Role: London publisher who printed the withdrawn first edition

    1. 1791 onward · England, site of the controversy and trialImpact and conviction for seditious libel

      The book damaged Burke's case and caused a furore; Paine was convicted of seditious libel in absentia while in France.

    2. 21 February 1791 · London publishing house of Joseph JohnsonWithdrawn first printing

      Joseph Johnson printed Rights of Man for publication on 21 February 1791, but the edition was withdrawn for fear of prosecution.

    3. March 1791 · London, place of first publicationPublication of the first part

      Rights of Man, the first part of Paine's reply to Burke, was published in London in March 1791, containing 31 articles.

    4. March 1791 · London publication contextA reply to Burke's Reflections

      The book defended the French Revolution against Burke's 1790 attack, countering his case for aristocratic inheritance of power.

    5. March 1791 · London publication contextArguments on rights and revolution

      Paine argued that revolution is permissible when natural rights are unprotected, treating the Bastille as the symbol of overthrown despotism.

    6. March 1791 · London publication contextSubdued rhetoric on the British monarchy

      Paine did not directly condone uprising against the British monarchy, using more subdued rhetoric than in his other controversial works.

Sources

  1. Rights of Man Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-07