Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Explore America’s foundational ideas through Purdue University Archives and Special Collections

September 22nd, 2026

What can a 1791 printing of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense tell us about the founding of the United States? And what happens when it is considered alongside a contemporary publication arguing against Paine’s ideas? Students, faculty, and visitors will have an opportunity to explore those questions firsthand through Purdue University Archives and Special Collections (ASC) during the upcoming Cornerstone for Business conference.

On Tuesday, September 29, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, ASC will open its reading room on the fourth floor of the HSSE Library in Stewart Center to visitors for a special display of historical materials selected for the conference. The display will showcase rare books, pamphlets, and other primary sources that offer a window into the political, intellectual, and cultural debates surrounding the founding of the United States.

Among the materials featured will be ASC’s 1791 printing of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, one of the most influential political pamphlets associated with the American Revolution. Published originally in 1776, Common Sense made a widely circulated argument for American independence.

Visitors will also be able to see ASC’s 1776 printing of James Chalmers’ Plain Truth, a direct response to Paine’s arguments. The two publications provide an especially compelling opportunity to encounter competing perspectives from the revolutionary era through the original historical record.

The display will also include first or early editions of groundbreaking works by Adam Smith, Mary Wollstonecraft, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus, John Stuart Mill, and Benjamin Franklin.

Explore history through Purdue’s collections

The display highlights one of the central strengths of Purdue University Archives and Special Collections: providing access to original materials that allow students and researchers to engage directly with the past. Rather than encountering the founding era only through textbooks or secondary accounts, visitors can examine the publications that participated in these historical debates. 

The display offers a unique opportunity to experience history through original sources while discovering the breadth of resources available through Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Students, faculty, and visitors are invited to explore these materials on September 29 and discover how ASC can support learning, teaching, and research. When not part of this special display, these materials and over 32,000 other rare books are available to anyone by appointment in the Archives and Special Collections reading room.