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How Did Thomas Paine Contribute To The Declaration Of Independence

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Since the beginning, when the first settlers set foot in America, they were on a path to a new identity. They represented a new world that would create a new people and a new society. This new environment of change is the very reason why many of these settlers left England and their native lands in the first place. It would seem inevitable that this new land of opportunity would bring a desire for liberty and freedom from the once overbearing mother country of England. In a plea by Patrick Henry to the Second Virginia Convention, Henry brings out the inevitable war on the horizon and the need to defend the new found freedom of the new country. “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for …show more content…

Many new ideas developed among the colonists about things such as slavery, religion, and liberty. One important factor of these developments was the acceptance of freedom of speech. Many people had words to say and opinions to spread, and they did say those words and spread those opinions. Newspapers, pamphlets, and books spread across the colonies, sparking new ways of thinking. One such person of opinions was Thomas Paine. His ideas and reasoning were highly influential at this time. His pamphlet Common Sense played a large role in the Revolution and in bringing hope and courage to the colonists in, “the times that try men's souls.” Many of the words of Thomas Paine helped the citizens develop a sense of unity and identity. Another example of the use of this new found freedom of speech was Paul Revere’s propaganda of the Boston Massacre showing a depiction of the four coffins of patriots who had died. The use of this propaganda, the product of free speech in the New World, was very popular and very effective. The use of this freedom of speech helped unify American thinking, thus helping develop a new

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