American Values And American Values

Paine wrote this very persuasive speech in order to influence a good outcome of his country. He meshes the ideas from Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and other philosophers into one document that created a large stir in the population. Before, Common Sense, no one spoke of the idea of independence openly. “Independence was a doctrine scarce and rare, even towards the conclusion of the year 1775…” (Thomas Paine). However, his words transformed the minds of many Americans. If it wasn’t for this piece of literature, the government may have never advanced into the intricate system that it is today. Paine took all the ideas and places them in bold print for the people to see. He simply explained what the people already knew was the right decision: independence. The principles of democratic republicanism and a government of laws based on a popular constitution, stemming from many great men mentioned here, are all found in the unofficial founding document; Common

As the year 1776 began in the American colonies, tension with King George III’s England was at perhaps an all-time high.  Americans were frustrated with the actions of their rulers overseas.  Taxes and trade restrictions had been placed on them, and British and mercenary soldiers occupied their towns and cities.  There had even been fighting at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill.  As America grew, England’s hold on it tightened, and a few voices began speaking of independence.  The loudest and most convincing of these belonged to Thomas Paine, born in England and living in Philadelphia.  His pamphlet, Common Sense, expressed the argument for American independence in a way no one had before and had a great influence on the Declaration of

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and John Locke’s Second Treatise of the Government are the underlying influences of The Declaration of Independence. This gave Thomas Jefferson, the author, a basis for undeniable rights of men and a new formation of government. Although Jefferson and Paine’s works share the same rudimentary principles, their ideas are clarified in different ways. Paine promotes the use of a Continental Conference to commission a continental charter that will lay down laws for the land, ensuring its citizens undeniable rights. The Declaration of Independence was later commissioned by the Continental Congress and written by Thomas Jefferson. It is important to Paine and the Continental Congress that laws are documented. The Declaration of Independence can be described as a coming out for the United States as an independent nation to the world, while detailing their radical decision to split from Britain. The Declaration of Independence explains, “a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation”. Jefferson deemed it necessary to explain why this document is being created.

Thomas Paine was responsible for some of the most influential works of the revolution. Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense was a very crucial part to America and its movement of independence from Britain. Paine was effective with his writings by being very plain. He wanted both farmers and officials to understand what he was talking about and be able to comprehend his ideas. Paine wanted to put his ideas out to the people of the American colonies so that they could understand it just by reading and not have to analyze and decipher what he was really trying to get across. He wanted to let the colonist know that there was no more room for talking about a split from English rule but it was time for the colonies to unite and take up arms against their British oppressors.

The United States of America was created by people who were not afraid to stand up for what they believed in. Together they fought, died, and built a new nation of freedom for all. However, the American Revolution would not have gained such widespread support without one man who believed in the freedom of speech. Thomas Paine risked his life to fight the British's censorship of the colonists and encouraged the people to fight back against the King's opposition. Paine fought for his ideals by illegally printing his book Common Sense, giving the people morale through The American Crisis, and becoming involved in the French Revolution through Rights of Man.

“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an adage that claims that writings can be more powerful than a sword. This can be true, as words can be used to build, destroy, and inspire. Books and writings have been known to cause people to fight and stand up for or against an idea. One such writing was Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. Common Sense greatly influenced the colonists to declare independence by stating that cannot be ruled by an external uncaring king, condemning compromise with the British, and uniting and inspiring the colonists.

Thomas Paine was an English-American, writer and revolutionist; he was born on January 29, 1736. From 1772 to 1773, Paine joined excise officers asking Parliament for better pay and working conditions, publishing, in summer of 1772, The Case of the Officers of Excise, a twenty-one-page article, and his first political work. On June 4 1774, mathematician, Fellow of the Royal Society, and Commissioner of the Excise George Lewis Scott introduced him to Benjamin Franklin, who suggested him to move to British colonial America. In October, Thomas Paine departed from Great Britain to the American colonies. He arrived in Philadelphia on November 30 1774. He became a citizen of Pennsylvania by taking the oath of allegiance at a very early period. In January 1775, he became the editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine. In April 1775, during the battles of Lexington and Concord, Paine viewed, that the Colonies had all the right to revolt against a government that imposed taxes on them but which did not give them the right of representation in the Parliament at Westminster. But he went even further: for him there was no reason for the Colonies to stay dependent on England. On January 10 1776 he namelessly published the best-selling American title of that period named Common Sense, signed as “Written by an Englishman”. Common Sense was another article that directly demanded independence from British government, it was the most widely read pamphlet of the American Revolution.

Thomas Paine was a great influence before and during the American revolution, two specific events that were stepping stones to the Revolution were also stepping stones for Paine’s work. The Stamp Act and The Enlightenment helped Paine to realize the need for revolution, with those events as influences he argued many points, including Naval occupation, need of debt and non-reconciliation with the British, on why the revolution is needed. Paine arrived in The British colonies in Seventeen Seventy-Four and started his literary career writing pamphlets and sharing his ideas with the public. Paine showed passion in revealing what he thought to be the public with his writing and opinions. That passion lead him to be in the center of the Revolutionary war.

Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in order to lay out the case for independence endorsed by the members of the Continental Congress. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, exemplified the importance of American independence and how colonists need to fight for it. Overall, Locke’s treatise influenced Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson in establishing American independence for the American colonists. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government of 1689 was very influential towards American independence; especially during the American Revolution. Locke’s influence towards Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was evident throughout the pamphlet.

The pamphlet placed blame on the British government for the distress of the colonies. Paine’s writing stated that Britain was taking advantage of America through taxes and by using its corrupt power to keep the colonists in submission. It was his writings that provided the inspiration necessary for many colonists to support the movement for independence from Britain. Paine had no idea that his writing of

Thomas Paine was more than a philosopher. However, Paine was the first writer who expanded his agenda by giving public opinion. He was an editor of the Pennsylvania magazine in Philadelphia. As he wrote that influential pamphlet, common sense is what expanded the Patriot cause. His debate for two main reasons such as establishing a democratic republic and obtaining independence from England is what pushed him to be great in his belief. Therefore, Paine aligned himself to be rooted within his facts based on the war that he observed and stood by.

In Common Sense, Paine argued about many things that influenced the Declaration of Independence. He argued that the American colonies should be free from Great Britain. He also argued that the Constitution failed to protect our liberty and property as citizens. Paine was against the concept of monarchy. Since his readers were mostly

     The third and most important value, I feel in America today, is morality. This is a tough subject to say weather or not a person is correct or if society is correct on their moral values. A person will only know in their heart if they are truly moral or not. Society has a set of morals that they set to live by in the world today and the moral values may change as everyday passes. That is that one good thing, I think, that society has an advantage over a single person. If society does not accept a value then society will gradually get rid of it and just the

As an anonymous author Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote the first pamphlet in the colonies to urge immediate independence from Britain. After writing Common Sense, he then wrote the first of sixteen pamphlets titled The Crisis. “The first Crisis paper (‘These are the times that try men’s souls’) was read to Washington’s troops at Trenton and did much to shore up the spirits of the Revolutionary soldiers” (Paine 324). Paine motivated the troops to keep their eyes on what really mattered throughout the war. The purpose of his writings are incredible and he definitely left an impact on a numerous amount of people.

Paine outlined the benefits that colonists will cherish upon breaking up with England . "Common Sense" worked like a charm on colonists and the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the dissenting colonists. Few people realize that although Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, that there was actually a committee formed to be sure that the colonists' position was clearly presented. Raise your hand if you can name the other members of the committee. (Call on a few raised hands) That's right: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.