Thomas Paine Influence On Declaration Of Independence

Paine blatantly states in the pamphlet of Common Sense that monarchy is disapproved by nature, that oppression encompasses the entire space of the old world. He further showed that being in the membership of the British empire was creating burdens and conflicts with other countries, and with gaining independence, America could escape the endless regal wars of

Today we look back at the American Revolution and picture a united people fighting for inalienable rights, but to grasp the impact that Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” had upon his contemporaries we must understand the situation in the American colonies in 1776. When Paine wrote his pamphlet, the colonist and The Parliament in London, were almost 10 years into a debate over the rights of limited self-government by the colonies. In the months preceding the publication of Paine’s pamphlet the situation had steadily worsened until the April 19th, 1775 armed confrontation between Massachusetts colonists and British Army soldiers. By the end of that day, blood had been shed by both sides, and armed colonists placed the British garrison in Boston under siege. Despite this violence, most colonists viewed the events as a part of a struggle between Englishmen that would be resolved with the continued allegiance of the colonies to the Crown, but with more favorable treatment from London. It was with this popular mindset throughout the colonies, that Paine would deliver his “Common Sense” pamphlet arguing for complete independence from England. Paine understood that to make his argument resonate he needed to appeal to the public in a manner that had yet to be done.

The Declaration of Independence and both Henry and Paine all shared the same purpose. All of the speeches had the same perspective of an American colonist who wanted freedom from British rule. There was persuasion in many forms placed in the speeches to maintain the focal point of freedom. Jefferson believes that the colonists need to “dissolve” the relations with the British and become “separate and equal.” (Jefferson). In the Declaration of Independence, God and nature give us the natural law of becoming independent, saying that this is how all forms of nature start. Jefferson uses God to elucidate the significance of independence. The British believed they could eat more than they could chew  and Thomas Paine pointed out “for so unlimited power can belong only to God…” (Paine). Both Jefferson and Paine narrow down to religion because they both  know Christianity had a wide spread in the colonies, therefore having the most impact on their audience and persuade them to fight for freedom.

The Revolutionary War was a fight for independence. People who traveled to America only wanted to escape the tyranny of King George and all of the injustice, corruption, and destruction, but it only followed them. People had enough with this and decided it was better to stand up against England, their motherland, and fight for what's theirs, independence. During the time people communicated through literature and it made a great impact on the Revolutionary War. Passages like The Declaration of Independence and The Crisis Number 1 changed how people viewed England and persuaded them to fight for their independence. Both Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine use similar literary devices to develop their argument.

Thomas Paine had one of the most tremendous impacts during the Revolution because he helped advocate American Independence. His biggest action during the revolution was creating the pamphlet “Common Sense” to help explain why the colonies needed their independence from Britain. Thomas Paine was born into a Quaker family January 29, 1737. He was born in Thetford, England and attended school until the age thirteen at which he was forced to leave England and become an apprentice.

Thomas Paine, one of the United States’ greatest minds behind the American Revolution, published Common Sense in 1776 with intent on persuading the colonies to pursue a war already bound to happen. His simple gripping prose promoted the premise that the rebellion was not about subjects wronged by their monarch, but a group of independent people being oppressed by a foreign government. Common Sense played a drastic part in the American Revolution, as its use of rhetoric and vigor assisted him in stating that war has already began, that now is the time to fight, and demonizing Great Britain as a brute, one of which has no respect for other people. Paine sets the groundwork for the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution by attempting

This pamphlet helped spread Paine’s ideas, especially his belief in a Declaration of Independence. Before Paine’s encouragement of a Declaration of Independence the document was at a standstill, without support or enthusiasm from colonists. After Common Sense, not only was America’s Declaration reinspired and vitalized but towns, cities, and states also began to create their own Declarations of Independence. Throughout the spring of 1776, colonists across America were so influenced by Common Sense that about ninety Declarations were published, a direct effect of the power of Paine’s pamphlet. This proves that, with the encouragement of Paine’s most famous pamphlet, America was ripe for an independence movement.

Thomas Paine wrote common sense to try to convert all of the colonies to independence. He did this because, he thought the king did not deserve the be the ruler of the colonies. If they were to self rule, they would not have this problem. Also, Paine’s ideas were not new. Presidents over the years such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson had all pushed the ideas of independence.

Thomas Paine’s, Common Sense, laid out explanations as to why the colonies should separate from Britain and declare their independence by forming a new government. With his relaxed and understandable tone he spoke and made concise, influential sentences. He expressed his viewpoints by giving political justifications for why the colonists should break free of British rule and commence their own form of government. At the time this was radical thinking because the British Empire was regarded as a monarchy that ruled over their British subjects. Common Sense stated that this did not have to be the colonies’ condition and that people could decide themself what type of government or destiny they wanted to have. However some colonists such as the

Thomas Paine and the writers of the Declaration of Independence and Virginia Declaration of Rights were heavily influenced by the political and philosophical authors, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau. These adept composers shared similar views on natural rights, consent of the governed, and the right to revolt which appear as parallels in all of the author’s works.

Thomas Paine (1736-1809) was an English American writer and political theorist, whose work, especially the Common Sense, has greatly influence the America Revolution in the eighteenth century. Paine wrote the pamphlet Common Sense during 1775 and 1776, in which he advocated independence of the American Colonies from Great Britain. At the suggestion of Benjamin Franklin, the man he met in London, Paine emigrated to America and landed at Philadelphia on November 30, 1774. At first, he published the African Slavery to criticize the brutal and inequitable slavery. As a co-editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine, Paine had sensed the rebellious spirit in the Colonies. At that time, the Sons of Liberty has led the protest called the Boston Tea Party

In January 1776, Thomas Paine produced his 50 page pamphlet “Common Sense,” produced in Philadelphia, expressing his open opinion in favor of American independence. Even though pamphlets are rarely used today, they were important for ideas being used in the 16th centuries through the 19th centuries.

This fresh, new foundation came in the form a document that outlined the way the government would work. Unlike the way Europe was governed before the Enlightenment period, Americans, since they had recently liberated themselves from the British throne, wanted to establish a government in such a way that would prevent tyrannical monarchy. By this time, they still were faced with the challenge of a republican self government. But again, we see the influence of Locke’s ideas from his Treatise, where he proposed that people had the right to establish their own government for their own protection of their natural rights. As a result of this idea, the preamble to the Constitution was created. This section provided analysis as to what the whole Constitution was about; improvement on the current government (to ensure that they are just) and protection for its citizens.

The Declaration of Independence did not accurately represent the views and feeling of all colonists by 1776. The Declaration of Independence is strictly written from a patriot perspective with no thought or involvement from the loyalists.

Paine outlined the benefits that colonists will cherish upon breaking up with England . "Common Sense" worked like a charm on colonists and the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the dissenting colonists. Few people realize that although Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, that there was actually a committee formed to be sure that the colonists' position was clearly presented. Raise your hand if you can name the other members of the committee. (Call on a few raised hands) That's right: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.