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Differences Between Common Sense And The Declaration Of Independence

Decent Essays

In Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of independence by Thomas Jefferson, there are some similarities and differences in the way they address what they believe in. They use the same techniques to making their feelings known, which include examining the problem, giving reasons for why it is a problem, and offering their opinion on the solution. Jefferson's and Paine's difference in their tone is obvious when observing who they are referring the documents to, the overall outline of their documents, and the relative significance of the documents. Paine's Common Sense and The Declaration of Independence were both written in 1776, and both documents support for the colonies independence from Great Britain. The dissimilarity between the documents is that the Declaration of Independence is mainly a political argument about American independence. The article speaks about the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," which are "unalienable," which is significant because the government cannot take them away. …show more content…

For example, he writes, "But admitting that we were all of English descent, what does it amount to? Nothing." He believes the dismantling of cultural bonds between Britain and America, and he also states that American commerce will make the future country secure and diplomatically. His writing includes economic, political, and cultural reasons why the colonies should break away from their mother country. Paine says that the colonies have little to gain from remaining attached to Britain. Commerce can be better conducted with the rest of Europe, but only after America becomes independent. Paine also asserts that if the colonies remain attached to Britain, the same problems that have happened in the past will happen again in the

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