In the primary document “Thomas Paine Attacks The Monarchy” it talks about how Thomas Paine attacked the monarchy by Common Sense. I feel as if this document really adds to what the textbook has to say about what Thomas Paine did to make him such an important person in history. It is always nice to get the perspective from people who were actually there. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet “Common Sense” is seen as one of the worlds most influential documentaries of all time. One of the reasons Common Sense was so popular was because unlike many writers from his time Paine used a lot of common sense arguments that average people could understand. Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense" in 1775 and it was published in January of 1776. The main impact of this pamphlet is known as a way to help cause the American colonists to decide to fight for independence. Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. So if Thomas Paine would have never wrote this the Americans may have never decided to fight for their independence. In this primary document Thomas Paine states how corrupt the relation between the colonists and England is, and how it needs to change. He starts off by saying how even though everyone is born equal, people are not being treated equal. He says this is due to the fact that the rich oppress the poor. Another reason for this he states is because we assign people as kings which is giving these people more power. He states how it
Paine then talks about the concepts of monarchy and hereditary succession and how Israel once did not have a king but the ancient Jewish people had wanted one to keep the order and the peace among them. Paine says when the Jews decided they wanted a king and God was infuriated, pages from the bible were displayed in this
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet “Common Sense” had a greater effect on revolutionary America than the Declaration of independence because it aroused national feelings and contributed to the Declaration of Independence. Common Sense was a pamphlet published anonymously by Thomas Paine and The Declaration of Independence was an official document detailing a policy of the new American government. Without “Common Sense” the Declaration of Independence would not be as we know it today.
It claims all monarchs are despots, cut off from their people and craving for absolute power. “Male and female are the distinctions of nature,” Paine wrote, “good and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest . . . is worth enquiring into” (Paine 9). Government is a necessary evil, a “badge of lost innocence,” that tends to get in the way of civilized society. Modern civilizations should organize themselves into local, self-governing societies with only representational government, suggested Paine, not an all-powerful monarch. “Of more worth is one honest man to society, and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived” (Paine 17).
Thomas Paine expresses his feelings toward the English constitution and its flaws specifically the crown. According to Paine, "because the
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
Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry promote the desire and will to fight for freedom because they believed America should trust God and he would lead them to victory. A lesson that should reverberate for generations to come. Patrick Henry's “Speech in the Convention” was in March 1775 to the Second Virginia Provincial Convention. Thomas Paine’s speech “The Crisis, Number one” composed only on a drum as a desk was read to discourage soldiers during a retreat early in the war. Although these speeches were in completely different stages of the Revolutionary War they both instilled they desire to fight for America's Independence to their audiences.
If Thomas Paine never published Common Sense Americans today would not only fail to fully grasp the many aspects as to why colonist wanted independence so bad, but it also might have taken American’s many more years before they earned their independence, and it is possible that America may not have ever got its independence. Common Sense was a crucial turn for American’s opinion against Britain. It was key factor in pursue colonies to fight for complete independence. So if Common Sense was never written, American’s today would be oblivious to how the colonist felt back then.
American colonists were getting more and more frustrated with the rules being forced onto them by the British, so Thomas Paine’s timing was very crucial in convincing everyone to take such drastic measures. Paine’s structure makes it clear the colonists need only one more final inspiration to fight and he wants to present that as simply as possible by saying, “In the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense...” (Paine n.pag.). Thomas Paine was a patriot of the 1770s, meaning he was one of the people who did not like being controlled by the British. The structure gives Paine a specific tone that seems very understandable and very to-the-point. He is trying to spread the idea that the solution to their Britain problem is very simple, but is overlooked by most colonists before 1776 when the pamphlet was written. He blatantly and clearly presents his argument immediately to his readers to give the colonists confidence and make them feel starting a rebellion will be easy to win and worthwhile to do. The colonists all came to the colonies to gain some freedom from the British Empire, yet are still getting controlled by them without any physical representation.
It was written in a concise manner that the common people of that century could understand it. Not only was it persuasive but it became an immediate sensation across the colonies. Paine describes how mankind was in a state of equality, but as time changed, the circumstances with it changed. Certain people put themselves as a king over the masses and nature did not approve. “One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule, by giving mankind an ass for a lion” (188). Paine then connects this by saying, even with reconciliation with Great Britain, the disadvantages with it would be too numerous. The dependency would tend to directly involve us with “European wars and quarrels, and set us at variance with nations who would otherwise seek our friendship” (188). Paine finally concludes with how we should stand up against oppression and accept freedom as our ally. “Receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind”
He argues in his book that it was one of the biggest mistakes in history to bring a monarchy succession. Paine thinks it is very important for people to understand that man originally was in the state of equality, which means that inequality was caused by some certain circumstances which are in America’s case, the British occupation. Originally, there were no kings, until the ancient Jews demanded one, and from here it started. Paine considers this as a sin because god only should rule over the people. The ancient Jews asked the prophet Samuel to have a king, at first he tried to dissuade them, but he couldn’t. They insisted on having a king, until they had one. This story in Paine’s opinion must be known by everyone in order to understand what is happening in America, and why they should face it and stop it. A revolution must be held by people who understand the situation, and why it is wrong, Paine had the evidence to prove that the British in America is wrong, and that they must have no king and a heredity succession. Thus, they have to make a Revolution, which is the American Revolution, urging for America’s Independence.
January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet, that had an Impact on the world as a whole today. When writing the Pamphlet little did Paine know he would have such an impact on how society is run today. “Common Sense” was an outburst not only in Paine's career but for Independence for many others as well. Despite all odds against Paine, Paine was a leader and influenced American colonists to Break apart from the British’s rule. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, “Common Sense,” led to the American Revolution, and eventually led to freedom for American Colonists from Great Britain, and paved way for the Declaration of Independence.
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 final points Paine makes in “Common Sense” tell the reader the reasons that full independence is the best option for the colonies. He points out that England is only a small island, incapable of defending herself and the colonies. He also states that a time of revolution is the best time to install a new government, with a better system than that of the English. Paine then goes on to outline how the republic would work, stating the idea of having a president limited in power by representatives from each state. Paine states that the only king of America should be god, not a mortal
Paine rejected the traditional ideas of government and had a vision for a future society that transcended the minds of the known world. He advocated independence from Great Britain and played a major impact in jump starting the American Revolution by elucidating the impracticalities of aristocratic hierarchy, established religion, and social injustice. However, Paine was more than just a wishful thinker. Thomas Paine was a utopian and promotes his utopian vision in his political writings in order to try and establish a possible future which is for the common good of humanity.
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.