Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
Thomas Paine is one of the important founding fathers of America who with his powerful language won over the hearts of the Americans. Thus he united America to rebel against the greatest super power in the world at the time – England. Thomas Paine came to America from Britain at just the right time because he would see the condition of America and with the power of his words he would subdue the public in believing in his cause. He used propaganda to make the people see the horrors England was opposing on the Americans.He tamed the public into believing him with one of the most famous work of the Age of Reason era Common Sense. People were won to the necessity for common sense that argued for separation.
The realization that this was necessary to improve the life of the lower class. Thomas Paine, when he called for separation said “ Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ’tis time to part”( Paine, Common Sense). In pennsylvania the common people seized control of the government, while greatly increasing their strength in the assemblies.These assemblies began telling their delegates in Congress to declare independence. Paine was a Deist who believed in God as a benevolent Creator who allowed the universe to operate by natural law. Paine argued that the New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation and the Puritans had believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the religious persecution they faced in Britain.
Deism was not popular until the Revolution when Paine said it was natural to throw off the rule of King George III, and declare their independence.Paine appeals to the public with his vast knowledge in Common Sense. In his pamphlet he emphasizes many points. First, Paine felt is was wrong for an island to rule a continent. He said America was not a “British nation” as it was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe. Paine was a master mind who knew how to pull the strings when he says, Even if Britain was the “mother country” of America, Paine thought that made the actions of the British government against the colonists all the more wrong as no mother would harm her children in the way Britain was harming America. He made the Americans emotional because the were tired of getting taxed heavily from Britain.
He said Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists. This was because the taxes were increasing without the consent of America and the public was fed up with it. Thomas Paine was so well received in America was because not only did he talk but he also proved it by his actions. Paine joined the revolutionary forces convinced that “ those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must… undergo the fatigue of supporting it” ( Paine 67). He would rally the troops and George Washington even had some of his quotes read to all the soldiers. One of his most famous quotes was “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny… is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. ” ( Paine, The crises). This shows People that fight our wars over the years have suffered during battle and then suffer it over and over again throughout their lives. The longer you are in battle the more difficult it becomes to fight.
That is why now they rotate troops so that one person isn’t in the thick of it for a very long time. A summer soldier would be a person that has fought but for a short time(a summertime) and is ready to quit and a sunshine patriot is a person that is patriotic only when times are good(the sunshine is out). Paine says these are times that try men’s souls. So it is a very hard time and he says that those that stay and fight deserve the thanks of every person they are fighting for. Paine says tyranny is not easily conquered so they fight the good fight to rid the colonists from the tyranny of England. And the consolation or comfort one should get from how hard the conflict is that the harder it is the better the victory will be. .
. freedom will be glorious. Paine was a liberal and believed that the government which governs less is the best form of government. Paine summarized in common sense that the distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from London unworkable. Paine observed that if some wrong were to be petitioned in Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response. This would not work and America would need to set up its own government to earn itself an identity. Paine believed in a government that would interfere as less as possible and let nature run its course.
All in all the Pamphlet written by Paine had an enormous impact on entire America. The things he stated in his pamphlet were reasonable and that got through the people.It made people become conscious that America has to be free from the shackles of British Empire and gain respect around the world—an identity of it’s own. Paine gives the text an emotional tone alongside numerous logical reasons and narrations the people of America would never forget. The best part of the text was the use of familiar language comprehended by everyone, which helped his work spread around the colonies far away. The straightforward style and tone used by Paine made his pamphlet one of the finest written pamphlets in the world. It is justified in being named “Common Sense”.
