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Rhetorical Analysis Of The American Crisis

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‘“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”’. According to the pamphlet, “The American Crisis”, by Thomas Paine, the need for the American colonists to act against Great Britain is due to Britain’s overpowering rule and the need for a revolution to change the faith of the colonists living in dismay. Thomas Paine describes the overpowering rule of Great Britain as detrimental and destructive to the American colonies. “...declared she has a right… TAX but ‘to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER’ … is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery on earth.” The analogy of the American colonists as slaves demonstrates the harsh living situations they were subjected to which creates ethos in the work by …show more content…

“... America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing will break out till that period arrives… the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.” The personifications of “America will never be happy” and “the flame of liberty” represent the constant craving for independence. These statements create ethos to persuade the colonists to act and to escape the dismay. “I love the man that can smile in trouble… strength from distress… brave by reflection… whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” The antitheses of “smile in trouble”, “strength from distress” and “brave by reflection” create the contrasting images from the good and the bad in the colonists’ everyday lives, pretending in the place of discomfort and dismay. These values create the pathos of the struggles of living and pursuing their independence and “principles”. “The American Crisis” by Thomas Paine showcases the need for the American colonists to gain their independence against its father nation and that a revolution is necessary for the colonists to escape their dismay and discomfort in their everyday lives. Paine has definitely made his point for the American colonists to step up and believe in their power to gain what they deserve, which is

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Sentimental Influence Fighting for freedom is what got us here today! Back then in the 1770’s America wanted force, but wanted proper application of force. Colonist wanted separation from England since their people were not being treated right. The colonists suffer when British invade the colonies, welcoming themselves into colonists’ homes, along with inequality government wise.

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In his commentary, Crisis No. 1, Thomas Paine argues that the colonists shall continue fighting for their freedom from the British. Paine supports this argument by describing the issues that the colonists have with the British. Paine’s purpose is to persuade in order to encourage the soldiers to keep fighting. The use of a formal tone with his audience, shows the significance of the situation. To help him urge the soldiers to keep fighting, he appeals to the soldier’s pathos, or the characteristic that affects emotions, he uses strong rhetorical techniques and figurative language.

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Common Sense vs. Plain Truth The battle for independence in America during 1776 was indeed a complex issue requiring the involvement of intellectuals to air their own views regarding the best move that British colonies could make toward gaining independence. At the time, two famous individuals, Thomas Paine and James Chalmers, appeared disagreeing to matters concerning the giant step of gaining independence from the central government in Britain. While Thomas Paine was a patriot who wrote Common Sense with the intention of enlightening Americans the greater benefit they would gain by separating from British rule, James Chalmers who wrote Plain Truth was a loyalist to the British rule and saw it as a wrong move and a beginning for a lot of problems.

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DBQ Between the years 1750 and 1776, England was locking down on the colonies, imposing lots of taxes against the colonists such as the Stamp Acts and Townshend Acts. Tensions were high between England and the colonies and the idea that a Revolution might take place wasn’t out of the question. And it was between those 25 years that colonists in America began to find a sense of unity and a sense of their own individual identities.

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Thomas Paine’s The Crisis does an excellent job of exemplifying the usage of the colonist’s feelings prominently in the content. One of Paine’s purposes in writing such a pamphlet is to convince the colonial Americans that they must not be cowardly by supporting British rule. Throughout his pamphlet, this ideal is displayed in an extremely pronounced manner, with a considerable example in the first paragraph: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will… shrink from the service of this country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of every man and woman.” (Paine 331).

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“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind” (Paine 1). With the Revolutionary War beginning in 1775, and the publication of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, only a year later, this statement was widely recognized and addressed the issue at hand: the fight for independence. According to Paine’s assertion, America’s desire for peace and freedom is a basic necessity of life; it is what all men desire. Despite this innate thirst for liberty, many residents of America’s thirteen colonies were fearful of Great Britain, and because of this fear, complied with Great Britain’s every whim. Consequently, most colonists were hesitant to fight against the mother country for independence.

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713 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout history, there is a vast majority of opinions solely on one event in history but in order for someone to grasp an idea of something, such as the American Revolution, one has to look and evaluate the different ideas on a historical event. In the case of the American Revolution authors Charles Inglis, Thomas Paine, Howard Zinn, and speaker Patrick Henry had to compare and contrasting ideas. Inglis and Zinn identified the revolution as something that was unnecessary as there are more advantages in staying with Britain and as a result of the revolution there are more problems, while Paine and Henry suggested that the revolution is needed due to the subordination and inflicted pain to the colonists, and King George III not being able

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On the other hand, how Paine and Jefferson used equality, reason, and nature to criticize the legitimacy of monarchical government and British control of the American colonies. First, Colonial America had great conflicts for several years relating to Great Britain’s decisions. it began by 1763 with the proclamation of 1763 passed by Great Britain. It consisted on limiting the American colonists to expand further west. Great Britain passed this act to ease relations with the natives just as the American Promise book on page 149 says “The proclamation offered assurances that Indian territory would be respected”.

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Before this many Colonists did not know of the harsh injustices done by the British. They also did not believe that the cause for revolution was urgent. Thomas Paine showed them that the cause was urgent by explaining the wrongs the British had committed and why King George was a tyrant. He also showed them that America did not need the British Empire 's protection. This quote shows his reasoning “Small islands, not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”

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Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested (Paine, 1776)”. Thomas Paine disagrees with the British government and the way they handling business he encouraged Americas to declare their independence. The Declaration of independence was a documented created by Thomas Jefferson that announced the split from the colonies and Great Britain, it. The Declaration of Independence states “we hold these…all men are created equal...with certain unalienable rights...that when any form of government becomes destructive... It is the right of the people to alter or abolish it (Jefferson, 1776)”.

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In the winter of 1776, during American Revolution, the still young America faced three major dilemmas: their seemingly imminent defeat, the moral debate between the Whigs and the British loyalists, and the panic and confusion of the American public. In efforts to settle the three American dilemmas, Thomas Paine wrote The Crisis No. 1 in December of 1776. In his work, Paine aimed to calm the American public and convince them to stand up to the British, and turn the war into an American victory. Paine was very successful in this, and his paper was proclaimed as one of the most persuasive works of the American Revolution. Paine’s

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182 Words | 1 Pages

“Common Sense” also played a major role in shaping a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. When Paine wrote “Common Sense” many colonist considered themselves to be “aggrieved Britons”. Paine wanted the whole world to be free, his

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

Many people when they hear the words “Fourth of July” they think about fireworks, cookouts, and sparklers! During the 1850’s it is a day that reminded many of the horrors and injustices in the world. On July 4, 1852 Frederick Douglass, a former American slave and an abolitionist leader, spoke in Rochester, New York about the affectation of celebrating independence. In his speech, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery” he claims celebrating independence when there are slaves widespread is unethical. To convince the reader of his claim he uses rhetorical questions, word choice and anthesis in hopes to shed light and spark action on the wrongful situation.

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691 Words | 3 Pages

In his document, The Crisis, Number 1, Thomas Paine argues that the American colonists should go and fight for the freedom that they want. Thomas Paine supports this cause by explaining to the colonists that they should have that same mind set no matter what it is. Paine’s purpose is to persuade with emotion in order to get the colonists to feel the need to go and fight for the freedom of the developing country against the British. Thomas Paine uses a formal tone to engage with the emotions of the colonists using rhetorical devices. Paine in his writing likes to use a lot of charged words throughout his writing.

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942 Words | 4 Pages

Though the causes of the American Revolution are complex, numerous, and intertwined, early-eighteenth-century English radicals played a large role through their influential essays. In “Cato’s Letters, No. 17,” John Trenchard (1721) analyzed and criticized the power-hungry English court, while Henry St. John Bolingbroke (1738)’s “The Idea of a Patriot King” supported the duties of men to a free government in relation to the conditions of Great Britain. Furthermore, these radical essays have their roots in the Puritan values of hard work, self-determination, and God-mandated laws. By believing that God alone willed the success of the colonies, the Puritans detached themselves from British aid and control.

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