Thomas Paine Common Sense
Thomas Paine in 1776 wrote the explosive pamphlet that was meant to offendBritish imperialists and to quash any hopes of reconciliation with Americancolonies. This documents reflects the thoughts and views on a person who isseriously concerned about the future of America and wants to convince theAmerican revolutionaries of the righteousness of their cause. On the eve ofthe American Revolution, many people must have wondered if they did theright thing by throwing the British out. Was independence really worth it'Would survival now be difficult-especially without the aid of Britishwealth and experience' These questions must have plagued the minds of manywho quietly watched the birth of a new country- a country that was destinedto be bigger and more powerful than every other in the world.Thomas Paine wrote this pamphlet to highlight the problems with a Britishform of government especially the monarchy and pointed out the errors madeby the British government in the past. He also focused on the virtues of arepublican government where people elected their leaders and leaders werenot merely thrust on the public. This document was explosive in naturebecause it openly criticized British policies and defend
Perhaps we feel for the ruined and insulted sufferers in all and every partof the continent. Paine therefore felt that of all formsof government, democracy was the best while monarchy was the worst. Since England was not in the hands of monarchsalone, there was a mixed form of government prevailing with aristocracy andrepublicanism thrown in. Societyon the other hand is a positive force that should not be allowed to sufferat the hands of an evil government. A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundredthousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain. Presenting the thesis in the introduction to the pamphlet, Paine wrote: "The cause of America is, in a great measure, the cause of all mankind. The heathen paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the Christian world hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones. Of moreworth is one honest man to society, and in the sight of God, than all thecrowned ruffians that ever lived. We view our enemies in the characters ofhighwaymen and housebreakers, and having no defence for ourselves in thecivil law; are obliged to punish them by the military one, and apply thesword, in the very case, where you have before now, applied the halter. Beneath the shade of our ownvines are we attacked; in our own houses, and on our own lands, is theviolence committed against us. It was war that was being fought not for supremacyor land but for every single soul that had suffered at the hands ofimperialist forces: "We fight neither for revenge nor conquest; neitherfrom pride nor passion; we are not insulting the world with our fleets andarmies, nor ravaging the globe for plunder.
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