ipl-logo

Why Did Thomas Paine Fight For American Independence

589 Words3 Pages

Jerry Urizar
English 3
1/11/17
Common Sense
In 1783, Britain had officially recognize the independence of the U.S. This was achieved by the hard working colonists who have united together to take down their oppressors. At first, the thought of breaking away from Britain was unheard of, but one man has brought the people to their senses. This person is Thomas Paine, who wrote, “Common Sense”, which helped inspire the colonists to fight for their freedom against Britain. The colonists of America were treated unfairly by the British government and their anger was growing, but people were too scared to take action. “Common Sense” explained how they shouldn’t be treated unfairly and that the
British were liars. He aso used quotes the Bible to connect with the …show more content…

One thing “Common Sense” pointed out was how unfairly the colonists were being treated. Americans believed that their rights were being violated by the British because of the unfair laws. Thomas Paine explains how the British are unfair and cannot be trusted because they are liars. “To say, they will never attempt it again is idle and visionary, we thought so at the repeal of the stamp-act, yet a year or two undeceived us…”(Paine, Common Sense) This quote explains how the British were forcing unfair taxes on the American Colonists and when they did take them away, they just gave new ones. An example of this was when the British stopped the
Stamp Act and gave new taxes later on such as the Declaratory Act. This quote allowed the colonists to see just how evil the British were and they were encouraged to join the cause and fight for freedom.
Thomas Paine made connections to the Bible in “Common Sense” so that he can reach out to the colonists because most of the people of that time were really religious. During the
American Revolution, the majority of the colonists were Catholics or Protestant. “In short, monarchy and succession have laid by the world in blood and ashes. ’Tis a form of

Show More
Related

How Did Thomas Paine Wrote Anonymously Before America's Independence

261 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

How Did Thomas Paine Contribute To Independence

432 Words | 2 Pages

Thomas Paine, was a well-known English writer and advocate of American Independence. Thomas Paine is most known for his publication of, Common Sense which focused on the efforts of achieving independence from Great Britain and highlighted the equality of rights for all individuals. Thomas Paine, “arrived in in Philadelphia late in 1774 and quickly became associated with a group of advocates of the American culture” . After his arrival, he became knowledgeable with the current government at the time, and what their stance was in terms of becoming independent from Britain. He continued to make efforts of change, and argued that if we stay connected with Great Britain, problems that arose in the past will continue to reoccur if we do not seek

Read More

How Did Thomas Paine Contribute To Independence

207 Words | 1 Pages

Thomas Paine, a revolutionary and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, wrote the most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet, Common Sense, and it inspired the colonists in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain. He gave many reasons for the colonists to support colonial independence. Some reasons Paine gave were Great Britain is thousand of miles away from the colonist which made communication a problem and Great Britain is only an island so it’s weird for an island to govern a continent.

Read More

Thomas Paine Common Sense Rhetorical Devices

406 Words | 2 Pages

England-born political philosopher and persuasive pamphleteer , Thomas Paine helped shape many of the ideas that marked the Age of Revolution. Considered by many to be one of the most influential pamphlets in United States history, Paine’s Common Sense (1776) was published during the American Revolution and utilized many rhetorical strategies in order to persuade his audience to share his view. Through his use of rhetorical devices, such as syntax and diction, Paine displays his argument that the American Colonists should strive for independence away from England. He believed that independence was the right and “obligation” of the American colonists to part from the oppressive rule of its mother-country.

Read More

How Did Thomas Paine Advocated For The Fight Against The American Revolution

1469 Words | 6 Pages

Thomas Paine, for instance, used simple terms in his famous work, Common Sense, to build up avidity in the colonists by channeling their hatred towards British taxation policies. His use of basic words allowed the propaganda to be widespread and even the lower class could comprehend its contents. Paine argued that Americans needed freedom from Great Britain because it was ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Paine advocated for a modern republic based on consent of the governed. In addition, Paine used his writing to boost morale of American soldiers during the war; “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” .

Read More

How Did The Boston Massacre Contribute To The Rise Of Colonial America

1470 Words | 6 Pages

Events like the Boston Massacre and the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense occurred in the midst of political protest, further contributing to the Americans’ growing acceptance towards republican ideas of independence and government formation. The Boston Massacre of 1770 was “a chaotic and unplanned event” where British soldiers open fire into a crowd of Bostonians, killing five working-class people. The massacre played a crucial role in inspiring republican ideals in the colonies by “galvanizing Boston and the colonies against the mother country.” When brought to trial, the British argued that “mob rallies had taunted them into shooting,” and “weapons [were] concealed under their clothes,” further severing the narrative that depicted British authority as tyrannical and oppressive. The incident served as a vivid illustration and underscored the colonists’ commitment towards defending their rights and liberties against the crown’s oppressive rule.

Read More

How Did Thomas Paine Influence The Declaration Of Independence

743 Words | 3 Pages

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

Read More

Why Thomas Paine Wrote Common Sense

126 Words | 1 Pages

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.

Read More

Similarities Between Jefferson And Thomas Paine

336 Words | 2 Pages

Due to his many experiences while living in Great Britain, he grew a desire to fight for the oppressed and often questioned the authority the British Monarchy had over the American colony. Thomas Paine wrote an influential Pamphlet “Common Sense” a scathing attack on the monarchial tyranny over the American colony and the significance of American independence. Thomas Paine’s ideas in this pamphlet were not original, however were more accessible to the masses due to the clear and direct way he wrote. His pamphlet helped to inspire The Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence contains a list of grievances against King George III and justifications for the assertion of the right for independence.

Read More

Paine's Argument For American Independence

887 Words | 4 Pages

“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.

Read More

Excerpts Of Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense'

260 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the excerpts of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” he makes many compelling points on why America during that time was in the perfect position for independence. In the first paragraph Paine writes about how the economy of the colonies could thrive if they were not under the rule of the Britain. He makes points on how if America was not limited in trade by Britain and the colonies had its own legislative branch the economy would be a lot stronger. In the second paragraph Thomas Paine talks about how in the past if the colonies tried to rebel their military would not have been ready but during the time “Common Sense” was written the American military was ready. Another factor in why Paine supported Colonist independence was because it was

Read More

Thomas Paine Common Sense Essay

654 Words | 3 Pages

Before this many Colonists did not know of the harsh injustices done by the British. They also did not believe that the cause for revolution was urgent. Thomas Paine showed them that the cause was urgent by explaining the wrongs the British had committed and why King George was a tyrant. He also showed them that America did not need the British Empire 's protection. This quote shows his reasoning “Small islands, not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”

Read More

Summary Of Common Sense By Thomas Paine

182 Words | 1 Pages

“Common Sense” also played a major role in shaping a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. When Paine wrote “Common Sense” many colonist considered themselves to be “aggrieved Britons”. Paine wanted the whole world to be free, his

Read More

Rousseau Vs Thomas Paine Essay

1232 Words | 5 Pages

Thomas Paine essentially wrote Common Sense for the common man. Being a pamphlet, its structure and simplicity made reading easy for those who were literate. Its minimalism enabled citizens in the colonies to unite under one common cause — independence against Britain. He was inspired by both John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s

Read More

The Importance Of Memory In Tintern Abbey

1268 Words | 6 Pages

For Romantic poets, there is no greater force upon humans than one of the many forms of the imagination. For William Wordsworth, this force is exemplified in memory. The greatest example of his exploration of memory comes from "Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798. " In it he displays his opinion of memory as a powerful source of enlightenment and pleasure through his interaction with the natural world. It becomes something he recalls time and time again to ease the ills of everyday life, giving him solace that he hopes can also affect the companion of the poem, his sister, Dorothy. Through his experience within "Tintern Abbey," Wordsworth presents his view that memory is a powerful balm that can allow its bearer some degree of relief from the adverse situations that a person may face throughout life.

Read More

More about Why Did Thomas Paine Fight For American Independence

Related Topics

Open Document