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How Did Common Sense Influence The Declaration Of Independence

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Paine’s most famous pamphlet was the first time someone had proclaimed independence and supported their claim in writing. Furthermore, Thomas Paine had spoken publically about an issue that would previously only be spoken about privately with close friends, thus transforming attitudes about not only the discussion of independence in America but also actual independence from Britain. Therefore, not only was Common Sense successful for its ideas discussed throughout the book, but also for its influence on the discussions of people regarding independence. Furthermore, many editions of Common Sense were published in its first year, 1776, increasing its success and support across America. Although Common Sense was one of the most influential …show more content…

Before Paine’s encouragement of a Declaration of Independence, the document was at a standstill. After Common Sense, not only was the country’s Declaration reinspired and vitalized but towns, cities and states began also creating their own Declarations of Independence, displaying its great influence. Throughout the spring of 1776, colonists of all status and power across America were so influenced by Common Sense that about ninety Declarations were published, a direct effect of the power of Common Sense. This fact directly displays the fact that America was ripe for independence, all they needed was a slight encouragement, which was Common Sense. Now that people were excited about independence from Britain, when the real Declaration of Independence was published it was much more widely supported than if it would have been published before Common Sense. In other words, Common Sense prepared, greatly influenced and excited the colonists for a Declaration of Independence. However, it is also important to note some ideas that disagree with the significance of Common Sense on the Declaration of Independence. For examples, Pauline Maier argues in her American Scripture that the Congress and colonists were already moving towards

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Common Sense was published anonymously before America’s independence. It was an instant success and was quickly available in all thirteen colonies. Britain’s high taxes, particularly the Stamp and Sugar Acts, and America’s lack of representation in their own government had frustrated many colonists. The author of the pamphlet, Thomas Paine, argued for immediate independence from Britain. He framed government as nothing but a necessary evil to protect humanity from its own vices, and said that it should only be judged by its ability to protect life, liberty, and property.

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627 Words | 3 Pages

The pamphlet challenged that the British constitution was based on an ancient tyranny. Also in the pamphlet, he claimed that we, (the colonies), could make our own laws, and that we don’t have to follow the British monarchy. Thomas Paine also personally wanted Americans to become independent. The author of my source says that before the publication of Common Sense, the idea of independence was only thought of those who were viewed as radical and that Paine himself acknowledged the radicalism of his idea. See now, it took a pamphlet to truly push people towards independence.

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1069 Words | 5 Pages

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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202 Words | 1 Pages

The Declaration of Independence and the colonists were influenced by many philosophers in multiple ways. The king also influenced the colonists yet he didn’t have any speech close to speak the mind of the colonists such as the philosophers did. The words that were presented on paper from just a person’s thoughts sent a lot of messages in the 1700’s. Multiple of these thoughts on paper mostly had an effect on opinions. Thomas Hobbes, a philosopher known for his original perspective on the world, was one of the few who impacted the colonists.

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Do you think Thomas Paine was the one who thought out the common sense. Well he actually didn 't others like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Ben franklin also came up with some ideas. The common sense persuaded many to fight for independence. More than 120,000 copies were made even thought it was hard to print because of the treason going on.. Its was a bestseller.

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Thomas Paine had successfully contributed to the declaration of independence and his 47-page pamphlet, “Common Sense”, impacted numerous Americans. “Common Sense” allowed citizens of the colony to

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In the eighteenth century there was a mix of opposition of independence, and a hope that the new nation would become a home of freedom. Thomas Paine’s argument was that America needs to gain independence from England. Some of the reasons Paine wrote Common Sense is because of unnecessary wars, monarchial government, and the way Britain treated America. Regardless of Paine’s popularity with Common Sense, Jonathan Boucher was a minister who explained his opposition of the revolutionary movement in his sermons. He believed if God wanted America to be independent it would have happened, and it is our duty as citizens to obey the laws because we will be disobedient to God.

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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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Thomas Paine was a great writer and was the editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine. Paine was strong in his beliefs and wrote Common Sense. The Declaration of Independence and Common Sense are two well known documents that share remarkably similar ideals regarding the ongoing crisis in America, but they also have some differences. Common Sense is a pamphlet consisting of forty-nine pages on why Paine believes the thirteen American colonies should break off from Great Britain. Throughout the Pamphlet, Paine creates a political argument in an attempt to rally the people together to fight for independence.

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Common Sense was an important stepping stone towards independence. Thomas Paine was a person who advocated and supported egalitarian principles. He believed that all people are equal and deserved equal rights and opportunities. Thomas goal was to influence to people in the Thirteen Colonies to stand for independence from Great Britain. The thirteen colonies were a group of British colonies on the east coast of North America.

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This essay will be discussing and analyzing the document: Common Sense by Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine was an American founding father and very influential in the the enlightenment movement that started in 1714. Thomas Paine wrote common sense so people would begin thinking and discussing the way the British had been treating the colonies in the recent years. Paine believed that King George and the British parliament were tyrannical and that the colonies should do something about it. Common Sense appealed to many of the colonists because of the plain language Thomas Paine used.

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Common Sense and Its Impact on American Political Thought Thesis: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense articulated the anti-British sentiments of the Colonies in a way so unprecedented that it permanently changed the face of political thought in America. I. Intro: A. Thesis: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense articulated the anti-British sentiments of the Colonies in a way so unprecedented that it permanently changed the face of political thought in America. II.

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528 Words | 3 Pages

Common sense was a short and powerful pamphlet you can more or less say that without it America wouldn’t have gain its independence. The way it was written simple. We have to remember that back then people didn’t had much education so Pain had to write something the common person could understand. And he did and it work he convince people all over the Thirteen colonies to want independence. Also the way it was laid out it didn’t went directly to the point of independence no he first build up to it.

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585 Words | 3 Pages

One of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet, “Common Sense”, addressed a response to the American Revolution. Paine’s purpose for writing the piece was to convince the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain. He adopts a patriotic tone, explaining the advantages of and the need to proclaim independence from a tyrannical country. Paine also utilizes multiple rhetorical strategies, and any means necessary, to persuade his audience to share in his beliefs. With the use of constructed argument and rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos and pathos, as well as diction and syntax, Paine is able to present the argument that the United States should strive for its independence from England.

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551 Words | 3 Pages

The Common Sense pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine he was an editor for the Pennsylvanian magazine. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. These two authors, Paine and Jefferson got their ideas from the Enlightenment philosophers Voltaire, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. One philosopher’s ideas that was found in both documents was Voltaire.

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