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When Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was released in January of 1776, it informed and igniting the colonists of New England in their need to push for independence from Great Britain, and even gave way to some of the ideas found within the Declaration of Independence itself. It’s loaded language, effective and factual use of logic and expert use of rhetoric make it one of the most famous and important pieces of American history to date.
In this inexplicably important document, Paine proclaims that inevitability behind New England’s struggle for independence is founded on the faults within the system of monarchy itself, the immediate and powerful capabilities of the American people, and problems that have risen from geographical differences between the two countries.
In Common Sense, Thomas Paine viciously attacks the idea of any sort of monarchy. He declares that “exulting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority of scripture” (p. 9).
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Paine carries this argument throughout the entire pamphlet, stating heavily that above all other issues that come with monarchial societies, natural and inalienable rights of men are neglected when a king is placed in such a high form of power. Paine also asserts that having both a king and appointed representatives is purely ludicrous, asking the question “how came the king by a power which the people are afraid to trust, and always obliged to check?” (p.7), which reveals the unnecessary reasoning in having a king in power at all.
Although Common Sense has some examples of personal jabs at King George III, most of Paine’s hostility relies on the flaws of the monarchial system of government as a whole. However, the Declaration of Independence takes a completely different stance on this matter. The entirety of the third piece of this declaration is composed of personal grievances between the colonists and George III himself, along with some of the decisions he has made as King. Some of these examples of localized hostility include “he has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for public good” and “for imposing taxes on us without consent”. Although, much like Common Sense, its reasoning behind the banishment of tyrannical rule is that it infringes on the natural rights of men. Though these two documents vary in whom the blame is placed mainly on, it’s clear to see that the ideas and principles behind the Declaration were based heavily on those of which that are found in Paine’s famous pamphlet.
Paine pushes for the American people to act quickly in their campaign for independence in Common Sense, stating that with any delay the “continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done” (p. 44). He also believes strongly in the immediate capabilities of the continent, stating that it “hath, at this time, the largest body of armed and disciplined men of any power under Heaven” (p. 34). If the country were to delay their struggle for independence, Paine fears that Great Britain could potentially enter another war and draw troops from New England to fight in a battle across seas. Paine also presents the fact that at this time, New England has no debts of its own. He hopes that with a national debt created by New England, without sharing Great Britain’s many debts, the individual colonies will be unified under their collective debt. Paine hopes that this national debt will keep colonies such as Virginia from breaking apart from the national union. Common Sense also sets forth many benefits of the colonies seceding from Britain. Paine believes that the continents are so flush with natural resources and materials that they “need go abroad for nothing” (p. 36). He feels that because of this, New England can build a fantastic fleet of ships of their own, and can make others to sell as a national profit. If the continent became independent of Great Britain, no natural resources need be shared with them. Because of the prime circumstances of the immediate time in which Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet, he strongly advocates the country to start their fight for independence as soon as possible.
Finally, Paine places heavy emphasis on the absurdity “in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island” (p. 25). His argument relies heavily on the unnecessary hardships that the distance of Great Britain makes for the budding country of New England. Paine proposes that “America is only a secondary object in the system of British politics” (p. 28) and is not treated like an actual part of Great Britain in terms of government at all. It’s also stated that “The king’s negative [in America] is ten times more dangerous and fatal than it could be in England” (p. 27), claiming that the King only does what is right and best for Britain, and strives to make New England as weak and needy for its mother country as possible. Paine compares this to the inevitability of a child growing up, declaring that just because a child has flourished upon milk, it does not mean that it should never have meat (p. 19). The entire document demotes the idea that any form of monarchial rule could successfully exist in two countries so geographically distant.
Common Sense played a vastly important role in the encouragement of colonists to fight back against their oppressive mother country. Without this catalyst for independence, it could have been much, much later until New England saw any sign of independence from Great Britain. Because of its use of “common sense” through Paine’s major arguments, colonists found reason to rid themselves of their former rulers and create a government of their own that would last for centuries after. Thomas Paine was one of the first to use such loaded and influential ideas, and for this reason, his world-renown pamphlet Common Sense has become one of the most important and incredible American historical documents of all time.
Thomas Paine's attack on monarchy and how it ignited the idea of Independence. (2024, Feb 14). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/thomas-paines-attack-on-monarchy-and-how-it-ignited-the-idea-of-independence-essay
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