preview

Comparing Jefferson's Common Sense And The Declaration Of Independence

Decent Essays

When the colonies were initially created, English ruled over them. The sole purpose of the colonies from the English perspective was to improve England, which was considered “the motherland”. The English fought in the Seven Years War and defeated the French, but they had to find a way to pay off their war debt. The colonies were becoming more profitable, and the English noticed this. Consequently, the English began to put taxes on the colonies without the colonies having any representation. The colonists opposed this, but they still debated on whether to fight for independence or to continue with British guidance. The Navigation Acts were put on the colonies as a form of no taxation without representation initially. This act was created to limit the colonies to only receiving goods from the English. Due to this act, the English made money off the colonies. In the beginning, …show more content…

Eventually every colonist began to fight for their rights and their freedom. This showed the colonial protests came from the heart of every American household. Thomas Paine wrote an article called “Common Sense”. This article told the colonial struggle and the need for freedom in a way that appealed to the lower and middle class. Following the article “Common Sense” was the Declaration of Independence. This was written by Thomas Jefferson to explain the reason for colonial freedom from England. Thomas Jefferson included the “Common Sense” article in his document. The Declaration of Independence did not address blacks or poor white men and women, but still the colonists continued to fight for their independence. Then, the colonists proved to the French that they could beat the British through the Battle of Saratoga. After the battle, the colonists received aid from the French in the American Revolution. The aid of the French was a key factor to our success in the

Get Access