46 Pages and Common Sense Analysis and Review Essay examples

In this passage, Paine emphasizes how the unique individualism of the American colonies cannot exist under Great Britain. While it may be a rational and more peaceful decision to remain under Great Britain’s control, the oppression of the American colonies’ individualism is one that goes against common sense and is a situation that calls for a passionate revolution.

Thomas Paine arrived in America for the first time in 1774. He was impressed by the colonies and soon became an advocate for their rights in the slowly increasing tensions with Britain. Paine’s belief in the rights of independence not just for white Americans, but for all men, was made clear

Thomas Paine claims in Common Sense that the people living in America do not need to tolerate the oppression from their British overlords. His main purpose for writing this pamphlet was to expose the injustice of the British towards the Americans and to persuade those who still believed that the British were either needed or were beneficial for the Americans in 1776. Paine values the idea that the Americans need to revolt against their evil ,oppressive, monarchical rulers in Britain and to establish pure democracy in the Thirteen Colonies. Paine writes from the perspective of an equal to his fellow American man, thus making him relatable from common folk to the wealthy merchants and upper classes. Paine shows the British tyranny over America as horrific and he wishes to expose British faults and impurities to inspire the colonists

Regardless of the weaknesses in Paine’s article, Common Sense is extremely valuable to scholars and students. For both scholars and students Common Sense allows them to learn exactly what was happening during this time in America. This first hand document allows readers to get a better understanding of where America was at and why they needed independence and why they were capable of earning their independence. This pamphlet allowed scholars to see exactly how America came one step closer to declaring its independence, and it allows students to get a glimpse of the thoughts of a first-hand colonist who was going through what they read in their history books.

Today, many American’s are proud to identify that the Declaration of Independence marks the beginning of freedom for North America. However, as students in history classes across American schools and colleges dig deeper into the realities of the country’s battles for freedom of rights it represents that from the beginning the Revolution was in the hearts and minds of the American people. The signing of the Declaration of Independence on the face of it depicts it as liberty and democracy, but the realism is that the American colonists had little choice or no choice at all, in how the American British governed its people. It is clear, the American colonies never gave up their fight for freedom and human rights, but the British Revolution still

During the colonial era, Britain has acquired considerable territories in the Northern America. These colonies were looked at as a mere resource and were treated as such. However, it can be said that it was England’s own laws that sparked a revolution in these colonies. Starting with the Magna Carta (1215), and continuing with the English Bill of Rights (1689), England has defined certain rights for all Englishmen. However, many of these rules did not apply to the colonies. The abuses of this power against the colonies is what lead to the revolution and enactment of the Declaration

Today we look back at the American Revolution and picture a united people fighting for inalienable rights, but to grasp the impact that Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” had upon his contemporaries we must understand the situation in the American colonies in 1776. When Paine wrote his pamphlet, the colonist and The Parliament in London, were almost 10 years into a debate over the rights of limited self-government by the colonies. In the months preceding the publication of Paine’s pamphlet the situation had steadily worsened until the April 19th, 1775 armed confrontation between Massachusetts colonists and British Army soldiers. By the end of that day, blood had been shed by both sides, and armed colonists placed the British garrison in Boston under siege. Despite this violence, most colonists viewed the events as a part of a struggle between Englishmen that would be resolved with the continued allegiance of the colonies to the Crown, but with more favorable treatment from London. It was with this popular mindset throughout the colonies, that Paine would deliver his “Common Sense” pamphlet arguing for complete independence from England. Paine understood that to make his argument resonate he needed to appeal to the public in a manner that had yet to be done.

Throughout the novel Common Sense, Thomas Paine is very transparent with his views on British parliament and their what seems to be never ending control over the colonies. He emphasizes that the American colonies must gain their independence in order for them to progress as a whole. When talking about the system of the British parliament, Paine states “Absolute governments have this advantage with them, that they are simple…But the constitution of England is so exceedingly complex, that the nation may suffer years together without being able to discover in which part the fault lies…” Additionally, he shows his disapproval for the British parliament because he believes the system is unreasonable and puts on a façade as if they were.

The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American

The second way Paine structures his argument for independence from Britain is through an extended metaphor, comparing England and America to a mother and child. Through this metaphor, Paine illustrates the toxicity of the relationship to the reader in “plain” language. Abandoning technical terms and the phrases often used by higher class, educated individuals Paine keeps the metaphor plain and simple so that everyone can comprehend the message. Paine begins the metaphor by highlighting the destructive “maternal” relationship shared by the countries. “But Britain is the parent country, say some. The the more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make

Thomas Paine had an interesting early life, full of failures and disappointments. He was born to a corset maker and his wife on January 29, 1737. He was in a situation where more than one religion was observed in his household, though both were under the same subsection, of which was Christianity: his dad was a Quaker whilst his mother observed Anglicanism. He didn’t have a very good education–at least, not a formal one. He did, however, at least learn how to read, write, and perform arithmetic. Once he reached the age of 13, he became an apprentice to his father, working as a corset maker. He was forced to do so at such a young age in light of him flunking out of his school. When he turned 19, Paine broke away from the business that he had befallen him to have a sea voyage. Once he returned by the age of 31, he became working as an excise officer. His job entailed that he collected taxes on

Changes in British policies toward the colonies between 1750 and 1776 played paramount in the evolution of relations between British North America and Mother England. Tension between England and the colonies mounted from the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War to the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a result of the several implemented changes imposed by Parliament for the purpose of increasing income and tightening the grip on America.

In this essay I explain the evolution of American attitudes and ideologies—apropos of Britain—from 1764 to 1776. I do so by, first, beginning with providing the context and explaining the state of the relationship between America and Britain throughout the course of the years 1764 to 1774, which in turn, consequently lead up to and instigated the creation of Thomas Jefferson’s 1774 piece entitled A Summary View of the Rights of British America. Next, second, I situate and analyze this very piece, that being: Thomas Jefferson’s A Summary View of the Rights of British America, which is was a tract written before the Declaration of Independence, in which Thomas Jefferson (under his own personal authority/discretion) lays out—for the delegates of the First Continental Congress—a set of grievances directly against the King of England and his corresponding Parliament, and moreover, ultimately radically forewarns and threatens specifically the King of England to fundamentally change, alter, and lessen Britain’s stronghold on America or else something will be done on behalf of America. Finally, third, I reach to and evaluate another subsequent document, that being: the Committee of Five/Continental Congress’ 1776 Declaration of Independence, which is a statement written by the so-called “Committee of Five” (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston) and the Continental Congress, which was to be adopted by the newly formed United States of

Thomas Paine was an English-American philosopher, political theorist, political activist, revolutionary, and one of Americas Founding Fathers. He was born on February 9, 1737 in Thetford, United Kingdom. His early life in England consisted of little education, other than reading, writing, and arithmetic, and numerous jobs such as stay maker, corset makers, and an officer. He never exceeded at any of these tasks. It was 1772 where he published his first political article pertaining to the higher pay excise officers should receive. After this, Paine moved to America where he went on to work for Pennsylvania Magazine and write several essays and pamphlets that influenced many Americans during the American Revolution. Some of his crucial pieces of work consist of African Slavery in America, Rights of a Man, The Age of Reason, and perhaps Paine’s

Throughout time, events such as wars and assassinations have occurred that people today can describe as “a turning point in history”. However, not all turning points in history have to be wars, assassinations, etc. In fact, perhaps everybody acknowledges that Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense is a “turning point in history” because it inspired the United States Revolutionary War. Common Sense, a pamphlet, can be credited as to inciting the American Colonies to revolt against Great Britain. However, how could a mere pamphlet concerning such a complex and complicated issue ignite The United States to a major turning point? By focusing on trade sanctions imposed on the United States by Great Britain and insisting the United States could have a better Navy than Great Britain while writing in an easy to read style that emphasizes key words by capitalizing or italicizing, Paine appealed to the average colonist in a way that reinforced the democratic ideals of the early Americans.