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Thomas Paine Rights Of Man Summary

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A Close Examination of the Rights of Man Thomas Paine, a British citizen turned American, was certainly one of the most revolutionary thinkers of his time. In his pamphlet, Rights of Man, he describes what it means to live in America, and how she stands out from Western Europe. Paine illustrates the United States as being “of people from different nations...” who ultimately are seamlessly united under one democratic government. He also points out that in America, the government is an instrument of democratic justice, it’s primary purpose being to serve the people it governs. He ends by saying, only in America, can you find a government which doesn’t oppress the impoverished nor grants her wealthier citizens with special privileges that …show more content…

This notion of equality throughout social structures is especially prevalent in the recently passed tax plan, which relieves many middle-class Americans of high taxes imposed by previous administrations. The Republican tax code, is just one of the many examples how legislation and the executive are working together fighting for all U.S. citizens no matter how much money they have. Despite its controversy, there is a lot of misinformation on the plan itself. Ultimately, the plan boils down to helping the populus-- not big corporations as people claim it does. Therefore, with favoritism out and equality in, Paine’s two hundred and twenty-six year description is still an accurate representation of what America stands for …show more content…

Initially freed unofficially by Lincoln’s famous Emancipation Proclamation and more formally through the 13th amendment, black men were opened up to an entirely new world. But the government wasn’t finished yet.They passed the 14th amendment which guaranteed to protect the rights of former slaves and granting them the right to vote. For so long had African Americans fought for these freedoms and the federal government granted this well well deserved privilege. Acting on the behalf of all moral people the government was able to turn away from the evil institution of slavery, and by doing so carried out the people’s will. While plainly, these successes were only temporary, they would have a lot of influence on later movements, in particular the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Thus, this legislative action ultimately reflects Thomas Paine’s description in which at its core, government is the instrument of the

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