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Analysis Of Thomas Paine's Text 'Common Sense'

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Thomas Paine gives three reasons in his text “Common Sense” (1776) as to why the colonists should take up their arms against Great Britain. First, Britain’s enemies are our enemies. Secondly, Britain will only leave the future generations with debt. Lastly, the British rule has tyrannized the colonies for too long. One reason Paine gives the colonies to take up arms again Britain is because America would not have any enemies. Britain’s enemies, are America’s enemies, because the colonies belong to Britain. Paine writes “We have boasted the protection of Great Britain without considering that her motive was interest, not attachment; and she did not protect us from our enemies on our account; but from her enemies on her account” (Paine, 1776, p. 326). Britain did not protect us due to sympathy …show more content…

He did get his message through to the American colonists. “Common Sense sold extremely well, and this prompted The Declaration of Independence (1776). Thomas Paine gives three reasons in his text “Common Sense” (1776) as to why the colonists should take up their arms against Great Britain. First, Britain’s enemies are our enemies. Secondly, Britain will only leave the future generations with debt. Lastly, the British rule has tyrannized the colonies for too long. One reason Paine gives the colonies to take up arms again Britain is because America would not have any enemies. Britain’s enemies, are America’s enemies, because the colonies belong to Britain. Paine writes “We have boasted the protection of Great Britain without considering that her motive was interest, not attachment; and she did not protect us from our enemies on our account; but from her enemies on her account” (Paine, 1776, p. 326). Britain did not protect us due to sympathy or fondness, Britain did it for their own interest. The colonies would not have any enemies, if it was not for

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In his discussion, Paine argues out that apart from gaining international respect, America would advance its own security and commerce by being able to trade with other partners in Europe and the globe. He mentions that all Europe should benefit from America’s goods not only Britain. He explains that by saying British are not the only people who settled the continent but different parts of Europe, so British should not be the only European country to benefit from the colonies. As a result of all the reasons above, the colonies needed no reason to continue submitting to Britain authority and should gain their

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Henry, in agreement to Paine, also expresses that the King has reached a point where he does not care of the colonists and treats them as inferior, Henry is hinting at the point that Britain is just hurting the colonists (Henry). Not only does he express this he concludes with this quote: “Why stand we here idle?... Give me liberty or give me death” (Henry). Paine and Henry and Paine both suggest that a revolution should commence due to the pain inflicted and subordination inflicted. Why should the colonists not

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Yes his argument was compelling because he used persuasive words that made the King of Britain sound like a monster and a horrible dictator and that they needed independence badly before things got even worse. In Common Sense Paine says this “For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever and tho’ himself might deserve some decent degree of honours of his contemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.” Paine was saying that even though the people were born free they would never know how free they really were because they were under harsh dictatorship and basically that is all the people knew back then. Thomas Paine was trying to get to the point that America will eventually become dependent. At times, he introduces this as a simple fact that everyone accepts, but sometimes, he argues for it, quoting the area of the flaw separating the colonies and the English king.

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