Argument Paper
Everyday we have the chance to make her own opinions and give reason to our own voice. We have the chance to live in a country that encourages freedom in society, which separate ourselves from any restrictions imposed upon by authority, actions or any political views. liberty is the power we possess to act as we please through freedom and independence. But what happens when we choose to give away our basic liberties for temporary safety? Benjamin Franklin once stated, “They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Those who decide to give away their personal freedoms for something that is temporary do not see the value in the long-lasting gift called freedom. In
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Whether it is campaigning for an abolitionist movement in the eighteen-hundreds or fighting for women's basic freedoms, they fought for long-term safety and security. One of the first of many examples in the fight for freedom is Thomas Paine and his pamphlet entitled Common Sense. Published in 1776, Paine explains that the people of America must fight against the unfair and unjust ways of the British Parliament. His ideas on independence and freedom created a revolution in American history. Paine not only advocated against the temporary security and restraint forced upon America, but he proposed the ideas of everyday freedoms and an unbreakable sense of security in The American …show more content…
Many would typically conclude that there is a trade-off between basic liberty and safety. In today's society, technology has been a predominant part of our lives that gives us the freedom to say and speak freely. But when our sense of trust in the liberty we live in is broken it breaks our sense of security. A recent example of this can be seen when the government collects data from our phone calls and text messages. The government claims to collect personal information in an effort to protect ourselves from criminals and terrorists. This idea should be rejected against the masses because our own personal security should not be violated and the liberty to text and say what we want should not be looked into. Liberation is not something we should take for granted. Liberation is a commodity people in history fought for and die for. Liberation is the power to act, speak, right and do as one pleases. Liberation should make us feel secure in a nation that is supposed to protect us and our rights and privacies. When we give someone information to convey our personal information, that's not just a violation are on our personal lives but I freedom of speech. We give the government permission to read what you typed and listen to what we say. We give up our own personal liberties to gain a temporary
“Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavored to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us.” Such words scribed by the Revolutionary radical Thomas Paine epitomized the drive behind the American Revolution of the 18th century. For nearly two hundred years, the citizens of the American Colonies had been fastened securely to the wrist of the mother country, England. They had tolerated the tyrannous rule, but not without the simmer of rebellious thoughts. As England piled tax after tax onto their colonies, thoughts of revolution and revolt sprung up in the minds of the colonists and brewed there, waiting for a catalyst to drive them into action. The catalyst ignited on January 10th, 1776 when Thomas Paine published his fiery pamphlet ‘Common Sense’. The 48-page pamphlet presented before the colonists a vision for independence that had never been conceived before. It radically altered the course of the Revolution and would later find itself molding the foundation of America’s government indefinitely.
The difference between Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is the Declaration was carefully formed by a number of people involving all thirteen colonies. Still, to this day, it remains one of the greatest political documents of all time. Paine’s pamphlet got people thinking about what the colonies faced and the purpose was to get people talking. It criticized the incompetent way the British was trying to rule America. However, what gave the Declaration of Independence a greater effect was because it was a mission statement to the world stating America is becoming an independent nation and the rights they deserve.
Thomas Paine, in the pamphlet Common Sense, succeeded in convincing the indifferent portion of colonial society that America should secede from Britain through moral and religious, economic, and governmental arguments. Using strong evidence, targeting each separate group of people, Thomas Paine served not only to sway the public 's opinion on American independence, but also to mobilize the effort to achieve this ultimatum.
Our nation seems as if it is in a constant battle between freedom and safety. Freedom and security are two integral parts that keep our nation running smoothly, yet they are often seen conflicting with one another. “Tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings may invoke feelings of patriotism and a call for unity, but the nation also becomes divided, and vulnerable populations become targets,” (Wootton 1). “After each attack a different group or population would become targets. “The attack on Pearl Harbor notoriously lead to Japanese Americans being imprisoned in internment camps, the attacks on 9/11 sparked hate crimes against those who appeared to be Muslim or Middle Eastern,” (Wootton 1). Often times people wind up taking sides, whether it be for personal freedoms or for national security, and as a nation trying to recover from these disasters we should be leaning on each other for support. Due to these past events the government has launched a series of antiterrorist measures – from ethnic profiling to going through your personal e-mail (Begley 1). Although there are times when personal freedoms are sacrificed for the safety of others, under certain circumstances the government could be doing more harm than good.
The complex and remarkable life of Thomas Paine has greatly influenced his many writings. His style of writing also has caused him to become very popular and has helped him influence many people. Thomas Paine's common sense and hard life had a strong influence in his writing of "Common Sense." In his writing of the "Common Sense he demanded for a revolution. He wrote very simply and boldly so that all his readers would be able to read his writing. He fought for people's freedom as he had in his own life and because of his commitment "Common Sense" became the most widely and influential writings of that time. This became an inspiration to many people including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, which inspired him to write the Declaration of Independence. Paine wrote the "Common Sense" because he believed that the English had outgrown any need for English domination and should be given Independence. He was fighting for his country, which was England. In his writings he said "We have it in our power to begin the world over again." This meant that America was going through a new revolution and that it should start things off right from the start and that from the beginning freedom formed the essence of American nationalism. Thomas Paine's main idea behind his writing was that people should be open-minded and stand up for what they believed just like he did when he was young. His writing helped shape America.
Paine believed that America needed to break free of the British clutches. He spoke out against slavery and joined the army to help fight the war. He did not agree with hereditary monarchy and wrote another paper to argue this point (Franklin 321). Paine was very aware of his criticizers, and worked very hard to persuade them toward his way of thinking. In his pamphlet Common Sense he writes: "I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness, and will always have the same effect"(Paine 323). Paine states the following argument: ."..for I answer roundly, that America would have flourished as much, and proba...
Thomas Paine published his political pamphlet entitled, Common Sense, on January 10th, 1776 in Philadelphia (Claeys). At this time, his pamphlet did a great job of rallying Americans together and even gave the war a purpose: to seek full independence from...
When I was asked to read the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and Common Sense by Thomas Paine I was kind of scared. As I started to read it, I found it to be truly interesting. Reading over them several times to make sure I was understanding the text and the meaning of them both. Through, out this paper I will share many compares and contrast over the Declaration of Independence and the Common Sense pamphlet. There are many reasons why these two documents had a great effect on the revolutionary American. As you will see in this paper I will point out many ways that these documents are still in effect today. In the end you will understand how the United States
The immediate sensation of 1776, Common Sense, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, had given the urge to many Americans at the time to fight for their independence. January, 10 1776, the pamphlet was published at around the begging of the American Revolution and had hit all of the colonies. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. Even George Washington had read it to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history. Paine wrote this pamphlet into four sections: Of the Origin and Design of Government in General, with Concise Remarks on the English Constitution; Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession; Thoughts on Present State of American Affairs; On the Present Ability of America, with some Miscellaneous Reflections.
Thomas Paine was one of the founding fathers for the United States of America inspiring many with his works Common Sense and The American Crisis. His second pamphlet The American Crisis uses literary devices to inspire the American soldiers when morale was low in the Revolutionary war. The pamphlet was written from an American soldier to inspire the other soldiers fighting after a loss in New Jersey. George Washington read the essays to his troops before he fought in the Battle of Trenton. The essay succeeded in boosting morale and was continued by Thomas Paine to create sixteen pamphlets encouraging those to fight against the British.
Being a liberal movement, the Declaration also stated that the colonies would have self governance. Thomas Paine enhanced this thought when he published his pamphlet, Common Sense. He made a strong case for American freedom, and confirmed a final break with Britain was absolutely necessary. This itself was a liberal movement. His work convinced millions throughout the colonies, including the members of the Continental Congress. Like Paine, who stated that the natural rights of people were being violated, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration with that foundation. He stated that people were being deprived of their natural rights, and wrote the Declaration as a liberal document to prove
Written by Thomas Paine, Common Sense is an argument that challenges America’s colonists to target the British government during the Revolutionary War in the 1770s. Paine’s piece suggests that American colonists are not fully grasping the main idea as to why they are fighting (Paine 1997). In his writing, Paine claims American colonists should fight for complete independence rather than only fighting for freedom from Britain’s taxing policies (1997). In Common Sense, Paine mainly criticizes the British government and why American colonists should fight to steer away from them.
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).
There were many great leaders who wanted independence. However, there were many who did not want to permanently separate from Britain and some that did not want to leave at all. Once the fighting began, and then the Olive Branch rejected, the colonies reached a point of no return. Many began to lose their nerve, and many others forgetting or questioning what they started fighting for. The moral of the colonist was being weakened by the difficult task in from front of them. In January 1776, Thomas Paine wrote a 47 page pamphlet on his arguments in favor of The American Revolution. This Pamphlet helped remind the Americans of what was at stake. His pamphlet, called “Common Sense” is known as one of the most influential writings in history. In the first two weeks he had sold over 150,000 copies in both Britain and in America. The pamphlet stated two main ideas. Paine wrote about equal rights for all citizens. He believed that citizens had basic rights including the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In his second point, Paine argues against a monarchy and favors a different form of Government. He believed in a Republican Government, which is “a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them”. He believed in this form of Government
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense as a way to sway the opinions of the unacquainted crowds via mentioning England’s oppression of the colonies and the unjustly monarchy rule. “Oppression is often the consequence, but seldom or never the means of riches; and though avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor, it generally makes him too timorous to be wealthy” (Paine p. 94). Paine was also supportive of the idea of the colonies being independent from England, “America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no European power taken any notice of her” (Paine p. 96). Ironically, Paine immigrated to the British colonies only two years before he wrote the pamphlet, but nevertheless he made his way towards the “pro-sovereignty”