In Common Sense, Thomas Paine tries to persuade fellow colonists to come around to the idea of breaking ties with Great Britain. Paine lays out his position that the British system of rule is very flawed in that the crown is the overbearing presence in the British Parliamentary structure of government. Paine is highly critical of the amount of power given to the king by the British Parliament. While Paine makes a powerful argument against Britain’s governmental attitudes, it can be said that his ideas put forth would also have a direct effect on the approach Thomas Jefferson took in writing the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson, in attempting to write a carefully crafted argument to justify severing ties with Great Britain, drew key ideas from Common Sense. Paine seeks to denounce the institution of monarchy and the structure of the British government. Paine’s arguments combine biblical references and observed everyday practices by the British system. For instance, Paine maintains that man was born into a state of equality and that the distinction between king and subject is an unnatural one. He …show more content…
The more powerful members of the committee, specifically Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, insisted that Thomas Jefferson was the better writer of the group and should be responsible for the composition of the document, with the others being advisors. Jefferson maintained, historically, that he did not use any pamphlets or books in writing the declaration. However, the ideas contained within the final document certainly reflected not only the writings of John Locke, but also the sentiments put forth in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. Jefferson and the other members of the committee did not live in a vacuum. They shared ideas and discussed the theories of the day, including Paine’s wildly successful