Laney Kasper
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Analysis of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
Thomas Paine wrote a series of pamphlets anonymously in 1776, targeted at the average member of society, showing his belief in the American Revolution. He was an extremist and most of his ideas stemmed from The Enlightenment. Throughout the series, he discusses society and government in a comparative way. He chose to remain anonymous at the time of writing these, and its understandable why. In his writings, the first chapter alone, he challenges monarchy and the corruption within, and also challenges the idea of kings and monarchy.
Before Freedom of Speech, speaking out against the government was considered treason and punishable by death. Thomas Paine wrote this paper to raise awareness, but remained anonymous to keep his life. He spoke about how wrong and twisted he thought
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the government was in his pamphlets. It also was heavily focused on how we need to fight back against Britain and win to get our independence. For the first chapter in his pamphlets, a big focus was on monarchy and how it had a negative impact on the colonies. He explained that the throne was occupied by a person and when that person died, their heir would succeed. The people had no choice in the leader and he uses that as one of the reasons the colonies should fight back. He defined government with terms such as “wickedness”, “restraining our vices”, “creating distinctions”, “a necessary evil”, and a “punisher”. While at the same time defining society as “positive”, produced by our wants”, “uniting our affections”, “a patron”, and a “blessing”. Thomas Paine talked about how the more we move towards a republican government, the less we need a king to rule over us. He gave a scenario of people stranded on an island and how they formed their own government, which was not corrupt and explained that a family of kings should be considered a sin. He says Britain is our mother country, but we have grown up now and no longer need to rely on Britain. Thomas Paine explained that Britain is an island, and we are a continent. By this statement, he was asking the people the question “why are we letting something smaller than us, have ultimate control over us?” If we are the continent, we should be the ones in power. Even if a middle ground could have been met, the colonies were already in the middle of battles. He truly believed that having ties with England is severing our personal economics and we can never be seen as independent while attached to Britain. Thomas Paine explained that Europe is entangled with kingdoms, kings, and monarchies. So, each time England went to war with another country, American trade was demolished to that country, because of the tie between the colonies and Britain. The colonies were already in war, they had been for years. However, it had gotten to the time where it needed to be interpreted as war, and we need to fight back. Meaning that the colonies rights had been being stripped away for years by England and it was time the colonists saw the diminishing of rights as they were, unjust. The reason it was so hard for colonists to recognize they were in war was because there were two groups: colonists who wanted independence, and colonists who did not. Many colonists were still loyal to Britain. They had many reasons not to rebel: loyalty was still very established to the mother country, they believed they were truly part of the British Empire, and colony unity was not strong. Thomas Paine explained in his pamphlets that we’re not British anymore, we’re diverse now. We have Germans, French, and Europeans in our mix of population. Paine says that Britain does not have the colonies best interest in mind. Great Britain was constantly in and out of war at the time. This entangled us in alliances. The war that pushed for the beginning the war between Britain and the colonies was the French and Indian War during 1743-1763. (Insert citation here) When this was over, England was broke and France was gone, leading to more policies. Thomas Paine’s pamphlets focused a great deal on American Independence and the reasons the colonists had to start a war against England.
There were many battles and acts that Thomas Paine believed were sufficient reasoning as to why it was time the colonists gained their independence. We had already been in war. We had gone through various battles in many years with Britain, so fighting as this point was not a new idea. So, Thomas Paine pitched that we should go to war for our independence, because we’ve already been at war. The very start of the reasoning for the war against Britain all began with Britain’s need for income after the French Indian War. That led to the Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act(1765), Quartering Act(1765), Declaratory Act(1766), Townshend’s Act(1767), Tea Act(1773), Coercive Acts(1774), Battle of Lexington (1775).Then came the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) which was crucial to the gradual movement towards independence, which is what Thomas Paine strived for and believed in. This battle gave colonists the confidence they needed, and was the Battle that showed the colonies that they could stand against
Britain. The Battle of Bunker Hill led to the realization that the British were low on funds and had a weakened military at the time. With those factors at play, the colonists were victorious with the war. During this time, the colonists drafted the Olive Branch Petition, asking King George for help, which he did not give. Instead, he declared soon after that the colonies were in open rebellion. All of the laws, taxes, and battles were steps forward to the gain of Independence and the motives behind Thomas Paine’s pamphlets and his strong belief in the revolution. The other colonists eventually believed this idea of radicalism too. The colonists won the war against Britain. Right before we went to war with Great Britain for independence, they had just gotten out of the seven year war. Had they not, they would had more money, so the outcome could have been completely different. I think Thomas Paine saw the vulnerability and that’s why he pushed at the time he did. With his anonymous leadership, he led the colonies to a victory against their mother country, along with the gain of their own personal independence.
Paine’s view of government pertaining to the colonies demonstrated his rhetoric, appealing to the common man. Thomas Paine’s work influenced the nation of today, laying down the foundation and need for patriotism during the revolution. Works Cited Paine, Thomas, Sidney Hook, Jack Fuchsman. The "Common Sense" Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings by Thomas Paine. New York: Signet Classics, 2003.
In Thomas Paine's Common Sense, there are some similarities and differences in the tone as compared to Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Paine's approach to his work contrasts that of Jefferson's. However, they still use the same basic techniques to making their feelings known, which include examining the problem, giving reasons for why it is a problem, and offering their opinion on the solution. Jefferson's and Paine's difference in their tone is evident when examining who they are addressing the documents to, the overall layout of their documents, and the relative importance of the documents.
Government is a controversial topic. Both Paul Revere and Thomas Paine foretells the pros and cons of the existing government system. Paul Revere portrays his opinion on government with an artwork of the Boston Massacre, “The Bloody Massacre in King Street,” stating that government is bad and negative to exist. Thomas Paine, on the other hand, portrays his opinion with a pamphlet, stating that the government is a necessity, but could also be altered for the well-being of the society. These two documents, although discrete, reveals their own separate opinions on government systems.
Thomas Paine is undoubtedly one of the most prolific founding fathers of the United States, albeit not in the manner most would expect from a founding father. Paine was not a drafter of the constitution, nor was he an early member of Congress or President of the United States. However, Paine did have a profound impact on society, not only in America, but also abroad. Often remembered for helping spur the American Revolution, yet not as often remembered for the other revolution in France. Two of the more famous writings from Paine are, of course, Common Sense and The Rights of Man, both of which were written during revolutionary times in separate countries. It goes without saying that when a revolution is taking place there will be many on both sides of the war; in both of these instances, Paine was the voice of the people and stood up for what was right regardless of the consequences. I posit Thomas Paine was the most influential man for revolution in America and France despite fear of backlash or imprisonment. In fact, near the end of his life Paine was not only imprisoned, but somehow evaded being beheaded as well. Thomas Paine was even more influential as a result of his extreme lack of self-interest and ability to stay true to the cause of his writings rather than wither away in fear.
Thomas Paine was one of the great supporters of the American Revolution. He was a journalist and used his pen and paper to urge the public to break free from Great Brittan. He wrote anonymously, yet addressed the public as he spoke out about his beliefs. The first pamphlet he published, influencing independence from Brittan, was called Common Sense
Paine had not entertained the idea of independence from Britain when he arrived in America. He thought it was “a kind of treason” to break away from Britain. It was not until the Battle of Lexington in 1775 that he considered “the compact between Britain and America to be broken” (Claeys). This idea of a broken compact allowed Thomas Paine to write a political pamphlet.
In the work of Thomas Paine, "Common Sense" Paine mentions throughout of the working for a positive government with the idea of equality. Thomas Paine writes different excerpt that give theories and idea with the goal of implementing those ideas into a government that may be just and fair. Paine reflects on the English constitution specifically the crown. Paine also provide an insight to having a higher power to run a government. Paine also criticizes the idea of monarchy and hereditary succession. Complications would ultimately arise through his ideas and theories due to the differences in religions.
During 1776, the United States was at war to gain its own independence from the hands of the tyrant King George III and his kingdom. As the fightt continued, the spirits of the U.S. soldiers began to die out as the nightmares of winter crawled across the land. Thomas Paine, a journalist, hoped to encourage the soldiers back into the fight through one of his sixteen pamphlets, “The American Crisis (No.1)”. In order to rebuild the hopes of the downhearted soldiers, Thomas Paine establishes himself as a reliable figure, enrages them with the crimes of the British crown, and, most importantly evokes a sense of culpability.
The Revolutionary war had many political writers; who tried to encourage change through their writing. One of the successful writers was Thomas Paine. Paine was a one of the most famous propagandist at the time. He wrote pamphlets to persuade soldiers and others to participate in the fight for freedom. His writing in “The Crisis 1” is very influential and plays a role in the history of the Revolution. The Crisis 1 was said to have been written during General Washington’s retreat across the Delaware, and was read to soldiers who were suffering and had low spirits. Thomas Paine’s writing is said to have inspired courage among the soldiers which led to victory.
Thomas Paine illustrated his views on American government in his book, The Rights of Man. During this time, America was flooded with many people emigrating from various countries. These people shared conflicting views and ideas, intensifying the belief that unity was impossible. Despite the Paine believed that the root of great success was due to the fairness implemented by the American government of 1791. The focus on the rights of man and principles of society was the reason the United States was as cordial as it was. However, it can be argued that the present American government does not follow Paine's depiction of the government in its understanding of the rights of man.
Thomas Paine wrote Right of Man in 1791, which was a guide to the Enlightenment ideas. In 1973, his book The Age of Reason, argued against Christian doctrines. Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution due to Common Sense, originally titled Plain Truth, which was the pro-independence monograph pamphlet he anonymously published on January 10, 1776. This rapidly spread and it was the best-selling work in eighteenth-century America. It made complicated ideas understandable to common readers, with the use of clear writing in the pamphlet. He argued that the colonies should seek full independence from Britain due to Britain’s unequal power. It was one of the main reasons that caused the colonies’ decision to enter a battle for total independence. Common Sense supposedly convinced many who were unsure of the purpose of the war and played a profound role in influencing the decisions of laymen and lawmakers alike. Thomas Paine died at the age of 72 in Greenwich Village, New York City on June 8, 1809. He was buried in New Rochelle, New York because he had resided there since 1802 when he came back to America. Even though we know where he was initially buried, we do not know his resting place today due to the fact of his remains were removed from the ground by an admirer looking to return them to England. “Common sense is a genius dressed in its working clothes,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American poet (Thomas Paine, Common Sense).
Paine starts out by stating that both society and government are very different. “SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only
Former British citizens of the newly formed republic did not care for the overbearing tendencies of a sovereign that lived a thousand miles away, and so fought valiantly for their liberty. Many authors found inspiration in the American Revolution, writing their own opinions of the fixed monarchy prevalent in European society. Thomas Paine endured many trials as a result of his writings, not only through expurgation of his works, but also threats to his life. “The two parts of Rights of Man were quickly combined in cheap editions (at Paine's insistence) and sold in unprecedented numbers. Paine's advocacy of natural rights, his attacks on mixed government, his outspoken republicanism, and his extensive proposals for schemes of social welfare set him apart from the more common opposition rhetoric that emphasized the need to protect the integrity of the mixed constitution to secure English liberties.” (Philp) Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man earned him time in prison for belittling the British government and exalting the recently autonomic United States. Even with the French revolutionaries agreeing with his rhetoric, he was still captured and nearly strapped to a guillotine under Robespierre’s tyrannical authority but was saved from his execution by James Monroe. Paine did not survive prison with a healthy
The American colonists were under British rule before the Revolutionary war. Thomas Paine believed that the colonists should gain their independence from England because the British government was taxing only the colonist to pay for England’s massive debts. He believed that the colonists should not be the only ones to pay for the England's debt. “... Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth” (the Crisis). He distinguished the British as a tyranny who enslaved America because he knew that the American colonists wanted their freedom from England. The British were taking over the
Despite all this, Paine still stood firm and said that his country was his world and his way of living did illustrate perfectly this statement. The variety of his pamphlets together with several other books, which were zeroed in on the main issues of his era, and their clarity together with the strength in the form of language that he had used did pamper his work with an everlasting appeal. Paine’s numerous works were written in support of freedom from arbitrary government system and their law, which he perceived to be outdated religious superstitions. To add to this, he was not only an active member in two core revolutions but also was a friend and acquaintance of major dignitaries in three different countries. Due to his firm stand on what he believed in, Paine became the centre of numerous controversies. When the conditions could not be tolerated, displaying an attitude which could not altered, not paying attention to his apparel, a tendency to drink and an inclination to take advantages of the generous reception of friends for as long as months and even in other cases years. This is because Paine happened to be difficult to