Answer:
Thomas Paine was a philosopher and political activist who inspired the patriots to declare independence from Great Britain.
Thomas Paine was optimistic about Americas military potential at the time of revolution. The reason for his optimism was that he believed that the resources available in the colonies are sufficient to defeat England. The amount of lumber available in the country could be used to build a strong navy which could rival the royal Navy. He mentioned these ideas in his booklet " Common Sense".