preview

Thomas Paine And Thomas Jefferson Essay

Better Essays

In 1775 significant political changes that would have lasting consequences were just beginning to happen in the United States. Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson would play large roles in these changes. Thomas Paine was about to publish one of the best pamphlets, and Thomas Jefferson would soon write the Declaration of Independence, both having religious ties. Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson came to an agreement on the formation of the unknown despite their beliefs and differences, fostering independence that still exists 240 years later. According to The American Pageant, Thomas Paine was from Britain. Paine was a corset-maker’s apprentice. Paine had come over from Britain in 1775. The website history.com says that his father’s religion influenced Paine’s humanitarianism, and a strong interest in Newtonian science helped him develop hatred for governments that rested on hereditary privilege. He would become well known in 1776, after the publication of Common Sense, one of the most persuasive arguments for American independence. The American Pageant states, “He began his incendiary tract with a treatise on the nature of government and eloquently anticipated Thomas Jefferson’s declaration.” According to History.com, Paine’s pamphlet sold around 150,000 copies in 1776 largely due to Paine’s rhetorical and literacy skills. History.com also said that his message conveyed by his style was of a piece with his democratic politics: to understand the nature of politics, that all it

Get Access