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Comparing English Bill Of Rights And Thomas Paine's Common Sense

431 Words2 Pages

Both the English Bill of Rights and Thomas Paine's Common Sense displayed interesting and creditable views regarding how to develop and maintain a well-functioning society through a well-structured government. The English Bill of Rights aligned a list of basic rights granted to individuals which included fair taxation and forbid cruel and unusual punishment. Common Sense is a well articulate essay that urges for the independence of the thirteen colonies from the British. In his text, Paine noted the importance of differentiating society and government, and condemned the practices of British monarchies (Paine, 62). Both documents theorized that political authority over the people should be fluid and well-constructed through a fair and equal governing body in order to ensure a equal and well-functioning society . …show more content…

He described several discrepancies regarding monarchies including negative effects of hereditary succession, calling the practice of passing crowns through family bloodlines "evil" (Paine, 62) and unfair to the common man. Paine feared that such a rule of American colonies would not be good for the colonial society. The English Bill of Rights was outlined to limit the powers of the reigning monarch in order to expand more power to the English Parliament and ensure equality for English citizens. Fed up with the misdeeds of James II and previous rulers, the document was a breaking point for Parliament and English citizens who did not have basic civil rights due to the absolutism of English monarchies. The document called for a more structured political authority through Parliament and not through a monarch who could make laws and impose taxes at their

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