ipl-logo

How Did Thomas Paine Advocated For The Fight Against The American Revolution

1469 Words6 Pages

British rule over the American colonies in the 1700s lead to an overall dissatisfaction, and in many cases, resentment, towards the British. The masses were fed up with British taxation and standing armies. The upper class was particularly displeased with the newly imposed economic restrictions. However, there were still a handful of colonists that believed going to war with Britain would jeopardize the little economic freedom that they did have. As a result, a number of colonists opposed the American Revolution, but the majority of colonists advocated for the fight for independence and freedom. One of the colonists against the Revolution was James Chalmers. He authored a pamphlet in which he attempts to extinguish the fire ignited by Thomas …show more content…

Thomas Paine, for instance, used simple terms in his famous work, Common Sense, to build up avidity in the colonists by channeling their hatred towards British taxation policies. His use of basic words allowed the propaganda to be widespread and even the lower class could comprehend its contents. Paine argued that Americans needed freedom from Great Britain because it was ruled by a hereditary monarchy. Paine advocated for a modern republic based on consent of the governed. In addition, Paine used his writing to boost morale of American soldiers during the war; “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” . Benjamin Franklin was another dedicated campaigner of the revolution. Like Paine, Franklin used propaganda to stir up passion in the colonists. One famous example is the the representation of America as a divided snake with the caption “Join or Die,” to encourage the colonies to unite against the British. Franklin also proposed the Albany Plan to unite the colonies and fought to repeal the Stamp Act. Furthermore, Franklin’s dedication for the American Revolution was demonstrated when he wrote, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Franklin strongly advocated for the fight for freedom and made colonists feel as though fighting the British was the moral thing to do with a disregard for the safety associated with keeping ties to Great Britain. George Washington, a rich slave owner, also advocated for the Revolution. Washington had experienced the first hand effects of British taxation and was not pleased. Wanting economic freedom, Washington wrote, “A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a

Open Document