COMMON SENSEThomas Paine

January 10, 1776

Rallying, Influencing, Motivating.

Thomas Paine• Born in Great Britain,

January 29, 1737

• Self-taught

• Immigrated to America 1774

• Involved in American political life

“I offer nothing more than simple

facts, plain arguments, and

common sense,”

Argued strongly for COMPLETE American Independence, not just

freedom from British taxation

What was “Common Sense?”

• Revolutionary war pamphlet

• English, 48 pages

• First published anonymously January 10, 1776

• Sold 500,000 copies in first year & 25 editions

• Precursor to the Declaration of Independence, which was written six months later

How did Common Sense succeed in inspiring so much

revolutionary feeling?

• Used forceful everyday language, influencing workers to attack the idea that the British King should rule the American Colonies

• American independence would be a victory for humans everywhere

• Words convinced many Americans that the cause of independence was a just one

• Played a central role in rallying public opinion; convinced many who were unsure of the purpose of the war

• ‘The sun never shined on a greater cause of worth, tis not the concern of a day, a

year or an age. Prosperity will be affected, even to the end of time’

– Paine.

• “There is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually

governed by an island,”

• “We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never

to have meat.”

-Paine

Chapter I. ‘Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution.’

• Introduces idea that there is a difference between Government and Society

• “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state

is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one…”

-Paine

Chapter 2 - ‘Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession’

• Paine argues that all men are born equal and there should be no distinction between kings and subjects.

• ‘In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; […]A pretty

business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and

worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.

-Paine

Chapter 3 - ‘Thoughts on the present State of American Affairs.’

• Examines hostilities between American Colonies and Britain

• Argues for independence

• Continental Charter "should come from some intermediate body between the Congress and the people… [we must

ensure] freedom and property to all men, and… the free exercise of religion.”

Chapter 4 – ‘On the Present Ability of America, with some

Miscellaneous Reflections.’,

• Paine's optimistic view of America's military potential.

• “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present

numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world”

-Paine

Paine’s PAIN. • It was absurd for an island to rule a continent.

• America was not a British nation

• Britain the "mother country" should take better care of it’s ‘child’, the colonies.

• Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars,

• The distance

• Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.

• Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and would not let the colonies have a say

• Crucial in turning American opinion against Britain and was one of the key factors in the colonies' decision to engage in a battle for complete independence

• Continental congress in 1774 not all convinced that complete independence was desirable.

• "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would

have been raised in vain.” – John Adams

Common Sense Succeeds?

Success again• December, 1776, New Jersey

• ‘[to] reap the blessings of freedom, [we] must undergo the fatigue to support it’

• “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 their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the

conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”-Paine

Conclusion• Thomas Paine created written revolution

• Common Sense forever renowned as instruction, motivational, and revolutionary

• He INDEED created feeling of revolution.

• ‘To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather been loaded with taxes than not.’

-Paine