Compare And Contrast Thomas Paine To His Excellency General Washington

Growing tension between Britain and its American colonies in the mid-sixteenth century provoked many colonists to express their heartfelt opinions about the matter. Some had the ability to publish their articles that became widely circulated throughout the American colonies, fostering the enlargement of those who realized the enhancements of governing their own nation. Others took to writing their community leaders asking for action to be taken against the broken relations with the British Empire. Thomas Paine was one colonist who took to the press to spread his ideas about separating from Britain in Common Sense. Phillis Wheatley took a different approach and wrote a personal letter to George Washington, then general, enclosed with a poem titled “To His Excellency General Washington” which was later edited by none other than Thomas Paine before being published. However different these two writings began, both manifest common thoughts of American colonists about splitting with Britain. These two prominent, Revolutionary writers thought the separation of American colonies from Britain was not just the will of the

Here Wheatley use of “Columbia” is a historic and poetic name used for America1 (perhaps as an acknowledgment to Columbus, who found the New World). This warning is directed at Britain who have been hassling the colonies for some time and the idea of splitting with Britain is in the forefront of the colonists’ minds. In addition to Wheatley’s caution comes with the fact that the colonies – “[t]he land of freedom’s heaven-defended race!” – were previously driven to war against the French empire and, having God on their side, defeated the “Gallic powers” and could defeat the British empire just as well (30, 32). It is now clear that Wheatley’s words were prophetic since the colonies defeated