Similarities Between Thomas Paine And Patrick Henry

606 Words3 Pages

During the Colonial Period there were many complications involving the British rule and how much power the king should have since he was trying to rule from thousands of miles away. The king sent troops and placed taxes on common luxuries, but there was so much he could do before the people of the American colonies got angry and wanted to fight back. Two influential writings at that time were Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Patrick Henry’s speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” . They both encourage the colonists to join the revolutionary cause by using rhetoric. Both works are well know and they made a lasting impact in the Revolutionary War and in the nation’s history. In the pamphlet titled Common Sense , Thomas Paine not only uses persuasive techniques, but he also wrote it in the language of the people, so he could influence the farmers and small business owners and the people who had …show more content…

Paine and Henry are alike in their opinions that they should’ve taken action sooner and if they did things wouldn’t be as bad. They emphasize that the cruelty of the British, without resistance and revolution, will lead the people down a path where their freedom is stripped from them. Together, with their influential writings, they helped to create the revolution. The works by Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry made a big difference but without the persuasive techniques used it would not have made as big of an impact. In Thomas Paine’s pamphlet he uses a great emotional appeal to convince the colonists that fighting back is the right is the right thing to do. Patrick Henry’s speech has many instances where he uses rhetorical questions to point out the wrongs of the British king and prove that war is the only point. Common Sense and “ Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” no doubtedly helped shape the American