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Rhetorical Leadership In Thomas Paine's Common Sense

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Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine in (1775-1776.) It inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for their independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. It explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence. It was published on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate awareness. It was distributed and sold widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. Washington troops were also read Common Sense; which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of …show more content…

Hoffman suggests that Thomas Paine rhetorical leadership was implemented by using the term “prejudice” to frame negative perceptions of American Independence; and positive perceptions of the British constitution as being distorted by the force of custom and habit. His thesis statement stated that he will discuss one of the two arguments in hopes that it will contribute to ongoing conversation about how Common Sense succeeded so dramatically and explore the relationship between “perpetual framing” and rhetorical leadership. David Hoffman explains that his essay is divided into three parts. The first section reviews the historical context of Common Sense. David Hoffman explains in this section Thomas Paine’s life and the journey it took writing Common Sense. He states that he spent 37 years in England before moving to America. There he had been a privateer, an excise tax collector, a lobbyist for excise tax collectors, and grocer. Not satisfied with his many accomplishments, he set out to write a pamphlet about American Independence which is now called Common …show more content…

Here Hoffman states that Winthrop D. Jordan’s approach was very persuasive and that Thomas Paine was able to bring to bear and remain an inspiring piece. Winthrop D. Jordan explains how King George was subliminally killed in Common Sense because the colonist feared that the only thing they had in common was the crown, and in order for the revolution to begin the crown needed to be destroyed. He also points out how the concept of kingship is demolished in Common Sense through imagery. Scholars basically believe that Paine’s Common Sense was rhetoric because ideas from the writing wasn’t original and that they were just recycled problems that America was already having. After reading Common Sense myself I understand exactly where most scholars are coming from. Thomas Paine had his own perception of how American Independence should be. He used the word prejudice to show the negative perceptions of American Independence and positive perceptions of the British constitution. Prejudice is seen as a character flaw that is a fixed bias based on race, ethnicity, religion or sex. During Paine’s time prejudice was closer to prejudgment; it was more so of an intellectual failing than a character flaw. Paine’s way of seeing the word prejudice is absolutely an intellectual failing because a person is taught to be prejudice more so, brainwashed into it. As a person gets older they are supposed to

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