Common Sense
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Jazmin Perez
Dr. Hungate
History 17A
November 20, 2007
Common Sense
After England succeeded in Pontiacs war they found themselves in terrible debt. Leaders such as Gorge Grenville and Charles Townsend used force in dealing with the colonies, in fear of their independent nature. The colonists soon became frustrated at the list of English policies such as the Quartering Act, Stamp Act and Sugar Act. The colonies surprisingly began to become unified and slowly started to resist the acts. This led to violence between the mobs and the redcoats. Englands grip on the colonies tightened as the colonists slowly tried to break away from Britain. One person who encouraged colonists to demand freedom was Thomas Paine. In 1776 his pamphlet, Common Sense, expressed his passion for freedom from Englands corrupt rule. Thomas Paines Common Sense had a great significance on the influence of the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence and colonial identity.
One of the main reasons Thomas Paine felt the need for change was because of the corrupt British government and the superiority of the monarchy. Monarchical tyranny was one of the lead sources of deceitfulness in the government. Paine focused a majority of Common Sense on the matters of hereditary kings. Paine first mentions the fact that the king and the persons of peers are both hereditary. This means that both are not at all related to the people. Paine brings about the question on why then would it be in there best interest to care about the freedom of the state. (Paine 8) The constitution of that time had a checking of powers. Paine voices his opinion by stating that the checking of powers are flat contradictions. He wrote that the checking of
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powers means one out the two ideas: either the king is not to be trusted, assuming that the monarchy is thirsty for absolute power or that the commons who have the power to check the king is either wiser or more worthy of the crown. (Paine 9) Mankind were all originally equals in creation, Paine wrote that in time that equality was destroyed by distinctions of class in England. In the beginning monarchy was ranked as a sin by most people. Unfortunately a prophet named Samuel eventually brought about the idea of kings being appointed by God. Paine criticized the hereditary of kings by stating it is degrading and lessening of the people, for a king stating a claim as a matter of right. Pain continues by writing that no man since we were all born equals has the right to claim his family in preference to all others. (Paine 16)
Another way Paine criticized the hereditary succession of kings was by describing how the throne was able to be possessed by a minor of any age. With that fact it was common for a very young or old king to be manipulated by a miscreant in the system. This was not positive for the public being that they were the ones having to reap the consequences. Paine wrote that he drew his idea of government from the principle of nature; that the more simple anything is the less likely it will be disordered and if it is disordered it should not be that difficult to repair. (Paine 7) He believed that republic governments are better when formed on natural principles. He uses this idea of nature to criticize the overly complex constitution of England. Paine voiced his opinion by writing that “The nation might suffer for years together without being able to discover in which part the fault lies”(Paine 8) Other natural principles included the freedom and property to all men and free exercise of religion. Paine wrote if Americans had any questions
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regarding monarchy that they should view the law as king. “A government of our own natural right is a better one to follow. It is infinitely wiser and safer.” (Paine 38)
Thomas Paine had a significant influence on how colonists changed there ideas about themselves. Paine first responded to those who believed that America was dependant on Great Britain because it flourished under Britain in the beginning. He compared it to a child who needs a mothers milk in early stages of life but then does not need to attain it the rest of its life. It can move on to bigger and better things