Ethan Adams @02700241

U.S History to 1877

04/19/2016
Thomass Paines Common Sense
The American Revolution, when you think of it most will think of names such as George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benedict Arnold. As well as events such as the Boston tea
party, Boston Massacre, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Though these
people and events played pivotal roles in this revolution, in my eyes i believe one of the most
influential people to come out of this time period and changed the hearts of the American
colonists would be Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine was an English man who migrated to the
colonies after meeting with Ben Franklin in 1774.When he arrived he became a publicists in
Pennsylvania and one of his most influential pieces was the Common Sense pamphlet written
on January 10, 1776, where he stated that Americans independence was common sense because
they lost touch with their mother country and they were being taxed without representation in
Parliament. so with the publication of his pamphlet titled Common Sense Thomas Paine was
the main contributor for Americas war for Independence because this pamphlet allowed many
American citizens to understand what liberty was all about, being the only publication that
directly aimed toward the average American citizen instead of the wealthily, and because of the
fact that he was a British citizen standing by the revolution it gave the American people more
motivation to actually fight for their independence from Britain. When reading just the
introduction of Common Sense you will see that Thomas Paine is trying to speak to all
Americans and really pressed people all over the world with this quote The cause of America is,
in great measure, the cause of all mankind. This quote directly speaks to the heart of majority of
Americans because he is portraying that this soon to be revolution is not just for the American
people, but if they succeed they could really change the whole world. He is making the people
feel that the whole world is united in this front to rid themselves of British rule, and the
American peoples grievances are theirs as well. So making the American people feel that they
were justified in declaring independence a few months after Common Sense was written. if
one were to read news articles of the time of the writing of this now famous pamphlet one would
be able to see how much these words that Thomas Paine written changed the hearts and minds of
many Americans. He has made a great number of converts here. His style is plain and nervous;
his facts are true; his reasoning just and conclusive. I hear of three only in my county who
disapprove of the piece, and two are the echo of one. Praise for Thomas Paines Common
Sense, 1776 The Pennsylvania Evening Post, February 13, 1776. Comments like these were
present over many newspapers throughout the 13 colonies, because Thomas Paine was able to
discuss important topics to help explain to the American people that the British government was
fundamentally flawed and thus was incapable to be able to justly rule over the colonies, and will
the second part of the pamphlet titled Of the Origin and Design of Government in General,
with concise remarks on the English Constitution. you can see why.
In the second part of Common Sense Thomas Paine begins to discuss how and while
the way that the English government is structured does not allow it to justly dictate the actions of
not only its own people, but for the many thousands if not millions of people it governs abroad
because, though it is not a complete Monarchy, it is still allowing Heredity to dictate who
governs, and in Thomas Paines eyes this does not mean that one person in the line of succession

is capable of governing. He also discusses how governments are a necessary evil and as the
population of the governing state and or country gets larger the need for more representatives for
the people needs to increase as well, or there will come a time where the power of the
government is in the hands of a few people who will then lose touch with the people whom they
are to serve. With this flaw of lack of touch with the people, Thomas Paine believes is going on
with the American Colonies, thus making the American Colonies to govern themselves the only
option. The way that the author discusses the fundamental dilemmas in the English Constitution
shows how hypocritical the English Government is toward the American Colonies. The English
constitution talks about how there should be checks and balances in government and how the
people should be represented, however many of the laws passed down by Parliament were not
approved by the American people, and i believe the American people did not even have
representatives to discuss their grievances with the English Government. Not only the fact that
the English Parliament does not have representatives from the Colonies representing them, but
the idea of Monarchs and hereditary succession makes ruling people justly very difficult, and one
will see this in part 3 of Common Sense titled Of Monarch and Hereditary Succession. "In
short, monarchy and succession have laid (not this or that kingdom only) but the world in blood
and ashes. 'Tis a form of government which the word of God bears testimony against, and blood
will attend it. (Paine) This quote from Thomas Paine expresses his and the many of the
American peoples distrust in Monarchies, especially Englands. Earlier in this passage Paine
discusses the merits of how kings came to be, in the beginning there were no kings and everyone
was equal. So how could one person or family then become higher than another? He believed
that there were 3 ways that people became kings; one being they were elected, second that they
were lotted, and third being that they usurped the throne, however no matter how one gained the
title of king or queen the hereditary succession of that title could and probably would lead
to disaster, this is because since the people do not vote for their leader someone who is not
worthy of the crown could gain it just because of his or her name. He also discusses the fact that
a country like Holland, with no monarchy, has been free from in fighting and wars for over 100
years, and he believes that kings are the reason for all the petty squabbling between countries and
in their own country. In your famous pamphlet entitled Common Sense, by which I am
convinced of the necessity of Independence, to which I was before averse, you have given liberty
to every individual to contribute materials for that great building, the grand charter of American
liberty. Praise for Thomas Paines Common Sense The New York Journal, March 17, 1776.
This quote helps show how Thomas Paine was able to show and explain to the American People
that a republic, not a monarchy was the best form of government to protect the people. This is
because you are able to hold elections and vote out those deemed unworthy for their positions,
unlike the English government where you can have a unfit ruler just because they have the right
last name, and as well as in the eyes of God all people are created equal so there should never
had been just one person ruling over them in the first place.
In Part 4 of "Common Sense the author speaks to the American people by basically
telling them that, though these colonies were established by England, it would be too selfish and
too narrow-minded to still say that they are English colonist and English subjects because there
are so many different people from all corners of Europe. There are Germans, Dutch, French, and
Spanish people all over, and the colony that Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense
in, Pennsylvania, is not even one third of English decent. He also refutes many of Parliaments
claims that without English rule the colonies would not be a successful economically without the
help of Britain, and that he believes is completely false. "But even this is admitting more than is

true; for I answer roundly that America would have flourished as much, and probably much
more, had no European power taken any notice of her. (Paine, Thomas. Thoughts on the
present State of American Affairs Common Sense, January 1776.) This quote refutes the belief
that the American Colonies would not be as economically successful because without being ruled
by the English government there would have been no need to go to war with France just a few
years prior, and in fact the colonies would not have any enemies at all if they were not subjects
of the English crown. And the reason that the British got involved in the French and Indian war
in the first place was not to protect their subjects in America, it was to protect their
economic assets. The English do not care for the colonist by they care for the money which the
colonist make, and that distinction makes it difficult for many Americans to choose and side with
the British, because they really do not care for them. The colonies connection to English rule,
Paine believes, is impairing the success of the Colonies because with Englands
countless enemies such as France and Spain another war with these countries could severely
damage the economy of the colonies and if England were to lose said war the American people
would have wished they would have remained neutral then. Thomas Paine then issues this
challenge to the people whom wish to reconcile with England I challenge the warmest advocate
for reconciliation to show a single advantage that this continent can reap by being connected
with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge; not a single advantage is derived (Paine, Thomas). In
my eyes at this point in American history, with 13 colonies already established, economy already
stable and thriving, it is difficult to see why the colonist should still be subjected to the rule of
the English, especially with such a large natural barrier between the two. So he believes for the
sake of the colonies future their only option is to claim independence.