Common Sense
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
In the year 1776 Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet Common Sense to convince the struggling colonists that succession from the British monarchy was not only inevitable, but also justified, and that it was time for the people of the American colonies to rise up against the British control. At this time the American Revolution had been in progress for about a year and the colonists were divided about what to do. There were Patriots fighting for independence, Loyalist who were still loyal to Great Britain, and those who were still undecided and sympathetic to the colonist’s grievances but weren’t ready to risk going to war by severing ties to Great Britain.
Paine wrote Common Sense because of these divisions among the colonist to urge them to unit and sever the ties to their Mother country. To help convince those who were still undecided Paine presented arguments such as how it was absurd for an Island to rule a Continent, how America could avoid European conflicts by being free of Great Britain, how London was too far from America to rule it, and that the King and Parliament would rule for Great Britain’s benefit, not the colonists.
Loyalist and many of those who were still undecided often stated that the colonist were not justified in rebelling because Great Britain had helped and supported America, however, Paine countered this in his pamphlet by stating that Great Britain only looked over America to ensure their own personal economic welfare. This argument and others, helped to convince many of those who were undecided to join ranks with the Patriots and strengthen the resolution of those already fighting the British control. This strengthened resolution lead to one of the first successful colonial actions performed in this time period, the Declaration of Independence and later the development of a new nation. In January 1776 the American colonist had two choices to choose from. They could unit in the American Revolution or they
In the year 1776 Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet Common Sense to convince the struggling colonists that succession from the British monarchy was not only inevitable, but also justified, and that it was time for the people of the American colonies to rise up against the British control. At this time the American Revolution had been in progress for about a year and the colonists were divided about what to do. There were Patriots fighting for independence, Loyalist who were still loyal to Great Britain, and those who were still undecided and sympathetic to the colonist’s grievances but weren’t ready to risk going to war by severing ties to Great Britain.
Paine wrote Common Sense because of these divisions among the colonist to urge them to unit and sever the ties to their Mother country. To help convince those who were still undecided Paine presented arguments such as how it was absurd for an Island to rule a Continent, how America could avoid European conflicts by being free of Great Britain, how London was too far from America to rule it, and that the King and Parliament would rule for Great Britain’s benefit, not the colonists.
Loyalist and many of those who were still undecided often stated that the colonist were not justified in rebelling because Great Britain had helped and supported America, however, Paine countered this in his pamphlet by stating that Great Britain only looked over America to ensure their own personal economic welfare. This argument and others, helped to convince many of those who were undecided to join ranks with the Patriots and strengthen the resolution of those already fighting the British control. This strengthened resolution lead to one of the first successful colonial actions performed in this time period, the Declaration of Independence and later the development of a new nation. In January 1776 the American colonist had two choices to choose from. They could unit in the American Revolution or they