Thomas Paine Common Sense Summary

Throughout history England and America have never gotten along; they constantly disagree on lifestyles and ideologies. This conflict started when America finally realized they needed to break away from England. In Common Sense, Thomas Paine makes it very clear that England is not the motherland of America and that American society should be more inclusive and extend beyond their separation from England. In this statement, he calls for the British to not have any involvement in the way the country is governed. Paine sees the government as a possessed and controlled demon that can only become good when it is represented by the real truth and changed by elections. Paine believes America is able to break away from the ruling of England, yet America

does not quite have the resources to do so yet.
Thomas believes that the colonies have the right to revolt against a strong government that imposes taxes on them, but he also believes that his rights do not give them the opportunity to represent all of them in the current government.

As he writes, “The conferring members being met, let their business be to frame a continental charter, or Charter of the United Colonies” (Chapter 3, Paragraph 47). Thomas did not want a reason for any colony to stay dependent on England and to need any help from them. Through his writing, Paine has a call-for-action tone and convinces several people to make a change. He wants independence to come fast and believes that one of the first things that America should do as an independent country is create a constitution that protects its democracy and the rights of all Americans. Paine says that sooner or later independence from England must come, because America had lost touch with the traditional mother

country.
Thomas Paine, the industrious man that he is, knows that Britain has already taken over the U.S for reasons that should not be. But Paine thinks fighting back as a solution will cause uproar and cause all the other countries to realize that they could potentially lose their freedom. “The laying a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind, and extirpating the Defenders thereof from the Face of the Earth, is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling” (Chapter 1, Paragraph 4). Paine is saying “declaring war against the natural rights of all mankind”, meaning that England is trying to defeat every country, not only America, and trying to get rid of everyone completely and to only make England the power force of the Earth. Paine, knowing that England wants to take over the globe, wants America to be inclusive to all countries- not just England. He wants every country that England is controlling to coincide with each other and share resources to help get out of the control of England.
But in today’s society freedom is getting harder to come by, laws are getting stricter, technology is getting more wired to our brains and tracking where we are and what we say.

The citizens of the Unites States are losing freedom and in 2017 the United States government is definitely not being inclusive to other countries as it only wants Americans and nobody else. The planned wall to prevent Mexicans from getting in is America’s new way of trying to prevent races they don’t like from getting into the country. Also, the new planned immigration policies could make it more challenging for diverse cultures to enter the American society in the future. Furthermore, the United States needs these countries for sustainable resources: education, skills, and a multicultural diverse society, which is the backbone of American

Culture.
For Paine, the King of England has had so many opportunities to treat the American colonies with all the respect and love he has. But instead, the King, who was so lamentable, has been a nuisance and only caused issues and troubles with America, and now there needs to be a war for the Independence of America. “Arms, as the last resource, decide this context; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the challenge” (page 36). The king of England has basically decided on his own that he wants to take over the continent as a country because he knows he has the “arms”, meaning the resources, and colonies to help him do so. The independence is only going to occur if there is a constitution made for the American people, discussing the laws within their own country and for the alliance or hatred with other countries such as England.
As strong and powerful a country England is, it has always found a way to disrupt the American people, by taking their money by taxing them or just causing unnecessary wars. Throughout history, the colonies have rebelled against the motherland, but this has proven to not be enough. In response, Britain uses it’s power to force America towards new policies. “Because, any submission to, or dependence on Great Britain, tends directly to involve this continent in European wars and quarrels” (Chapter 3, Paragraph 18). A lot of Americans believe that fighting England would have no purpose and because they disagree with fighting and war. But as Thomas Paine points out, being a British colony constantly brings America into even more wars because it gets caught up in all the controversy Britain has with most of the other countries around the world. As a result, Paine hopes to break out of the constraints of being a British colony and wants to break any association America has with Britain.
“I have never met with a man, either in England or America, who hath not confessed his opinion, that a separation between the countries, would take place one time or another: And there is no instance, in which we have shewn less judgment, than in endeavouring to describe, what we call, the ripeness or fitness of the Continent for independence” ( chapter 3, paragraph 1).

Paine claims that he has not met any man that has agreed with what England is doing. Basically, all of America is in joint agreement that breaking away from England is necessary. Paine then hints that there is a chance that separation will eventually happen, causing the colonies to break up and not being inclusive with England anymore.
Paine believes that as a country, America has not yet reached the capability of having their money not stripped away from them by England. He believes America needs to learn how to live in style and use their money for the benefit of themselves and not give it to England in taxes. “America doth not yet know what opulence is; and although the progress which she hath made stands unparalleled in the history of other nations, it is but childhood, compared with what she would be capable of arriving at, had she, as she ought to have, the legislative powers in her own hands” (pre log, Paragraph 7). Paine is saying that American does not know what luxuriousness is as they have no money to spend because the British are always taking it from them. Also “as she ought to have, the legislative powers in her own hands”, meaning that if America actually took control of their own country they would be able to get out of what Paine called a “childhood” which is stating that they(America) are the children while England are the parents, always taking charge and being miscreant. Furthermore, many Americans wouldn't want to go to war with Britain because they'd be afraid America would not have the power to raise a sophisticated army or have all the necessary resources such as guns, cannons and many more utilities needed to have a chance to win any war.
Paine insists that remaining under British rule will eventually result in more war for America than just trying to be independent, as many residents will retaliate and make it hell for the American government. Britain, which is the most despised country, always tries to cause fights with each and every country to gain more and more power and wealth. And when the time comes, the British sends uncontrollable people from its colonies to fight on their behalf. “It is now the interest of America to provide for herself.” Paine is making the obvious statement that America needs to stop being controlled and to basically stand up and take charge and not be used and abused by England. Being the independent country America wants to be, all the parliaments and government now need to stand up for themselves and start being independent.
The conflict between England and America is that America is being treated as the child of England and England just demands for anything and America gives it to them. Paine wants to resolve the conflicts between America and England by making sure England has control of their own country and has a constitution protecting their rights. America is inclusive because of they way helped out many countries during the wars and accepted all the help they could get while England was controlling them. What ways ways modern america isn't inclusive Modern America is not being inclusive anymore as the immigration policies are making it way harder to enter the Unites States. The government only want other people from other countries if they have something beneficial for the United States to use and to benefit from in the future. Paine realized that America was inclusive all along and that it is only now in the present day that America has stopped being inclusive.