The American Revolution : Thomas Paine Essay

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

In the work of Thomas Paine, "Common Sense" Paine mentions throughout of the working for a positive government with the idea of equality. Thomas Paine writes different excerpt that give theories and idea with the goal of implementing those ideas into a government that may be just and fair. Paine reflects on the English constitution specifically the crown. Paine also provide an insight to having a higher power to run a government. Paine also criticizes the idea of monarchy and hereditary succession. Complications would ultimately arise through his ideas and theories due to the differences in religions.

The gun shot that was heard around the world, in 1775 marks the day of the beginning of the of the American Revolution .During the American Revolution the Seneca people had a critical role. The 3 three Seneca Chief’s , Big Tree, Corn Planter, and Half Town wrote a letter to them asking George Washington to stop killing their people. Some of the Seneca people joined the British, an interesting fact. Who were considering a revolution despite the fact that Native American’s didn’t do anything ? After the research that been done, it can be proven that the American Revolution was actually a Revolution. In the American Revolution the government changed and the people wanted to leave British rule resulting in and there was violence. Of

The 1770s proved to be a time of much chaos and debate. The thirteen colonies, which soon gained their independence, were in the midst of a conflict with Great Britain. The colonies were suffering from repeated injuries and usurpations inflicted upon them by the British. As a result of these inflictions, Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry addressed these injustices, and proved to be very persuasive through providing reasoning and evidence that moved many colonists to believe that to reach contentment and peace the colonies had to rid themselves of British rule. Henry and Paine were successful in swaying their audience, not only because of the rhetorical strategies used, but also because they were passionate about the cause they were committed

Thomas Paine was born to Joseph Paine and Francis Cocke Paine in January, 1737. Paine’s father was Quaker, and his mother was Anglican. The religious controversies haunted Paine throughout his life. His personal life ended in divorce and destitution. After barely avoiding debtor’s prison in 1774, a mutual friend introduced Paine to Benjamin. This introduction would change the course of Paine’s life. Franklin was immediately impressed with Paine and wrote a letter of introduction for him. Paine suffered physical illness on his journey that very nearly killed him, but he managed to survive the trip and arrived in Philadelphia September of 1774.

By 1765 when Parliament passed the Stamp Acts, the colonies were already governing themselves so a certain extent and smuggling goods to avoid the British taxes. The colonists were being taxed extensively so that Britain could pay back their debts from the Seven-Years War, which was not fair for the colonists to be paying for, seeing as the colonies had absolutely no involvement in the Seven-Years war.

The Stamp Act, which was passed in 1765, had many reactions from the colonists. When the British passed the Stamp Act it taxed everything printed like newspapers, dice, playing cards, legal documents, etc. They all needed a British stamp on it. George Grenville, the prime minister, proposed it because of the debt from the French and Indian War. The colonies were the least taxed of the colonies, but they were enraged because they had no representation. After the British passed the Stamp Act the colonies weren't happy.

The moves Britain made were to tax all paper goods and imports from Britain to the colonies. The reason these items were taxed is because “The nation has run itself into an immense debt to give them protection” (Document 1). The Stamp Act of 1765 taxed things such as documents, publications, land, amusements, commerce and trade, licenses, wills, and admissions

war, it is a sign of radical action. Britains' army was four times as big

In the pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine, one of the most influential reformers at the time, Paine explicitly explains why the colonies should politically and economically separate from Great Britain. His viewpoint is that the colonies should be independent of Great Britain since they’ve suffered under unfair British autocratic rule for too long. His viewpoint is developed through the usage of figurative language as well as rhetorical appeal and supported in his counterargument. Therefore, Paine’s viewpoint is that America should be independent of Great Britain. One of the techniques Paine uses to develop his argument is figurative language.

After the threat of a possible British invasion intended to disperse any thoughts of rebellion, the colonists’ opinion on revolution varied throughout the colonies. Thomas Paine genuinely believed fighting for freedom was the best choice for America, even though he understood it would be a hard task to undertake. Because of this, Paine used his writing skills to attempt to unite the colonies to support the fight for freedom. In order to reach the largest amount of people, Paine incorporated simple language into his writing.

The Stamp Act of 1765 imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies, came at a time when the British Empire was deep in debt from the Seven Years’ War (History.com). The American Revolution was caused by two things money and respect, the Stamp Act stated every paper document required a stamp which greatly influenced colonists in rebelling against the British authority (History.com). The law applied to wills, deeds, illegal documents, newspapers, pamphlets and even playing cards. The colonists took the law so offensive, not so much because of its immediate cost, but because of the standard it seemed to set. Due to the effective protests, England revoked the Stamp Act in 1766. The Stamp Act was to raise money for the larger debt the British

The American Revolution (1775-1783) was a revolt that led to the independence of the colonies from Great Britain and the formation of the United States of America. Many battles were fought for this, but one of the most influential things to incite this revolution was not a battle, but a pamphlet by Thomas Paine. Thomas Paine was the son of Joseph Paine, a corset maker from Thetford, England (4). He attended grammar school until the age of thirteen until he was forced out of his education to work as an apprentice for his father.

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth….” A simple quote from arguably the most influential United States document; a quote that got criticism and praise, and was met with riots and joy. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and ratified in 1776, was read and interpreted differently by a commoner in the Colonies, who had a more welcoming reaction than a commoner in Great Britain, who saw this document as an act of treason.

The American Revolution was a war for independence. It was a war which was fought for equal rights and the freedom of a would be nation. It showed the pure courage and heart of the American colonists by pitting them against a much more powerful opponent. The British had the best army in the world, and the colonists were often just poor farmers armed with their hunting muskets. It was truly a case of David versus Goliath. The reasons, course, and outcome of the American Revolution provided the perfect scenario for achieving independence.