...not paying attention” (Paolini). Thomas Paine was born January 29th 1737 in England. He was considered a Quaker. “In 1774, he met Benjamin Franklin in London, who advised him to emigrate to America, giving him letters of recommendation” (Humanities commuting). Paine had entered Philadelphia where he felt tension because of the Boston Tea Party. Thomas agreed on people revolting against the government who requires to tax them. He thought the America did not need to be dependent with England. Paine realized that there needed to be a separation of colonies. On June 10th 1176 pain had a lot of ideas about independence...
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...In Common Sense, Thomas Paine has two main arguments: American independence, and to create a democratic republic. Paine starts off talking about government and society. According to him, society is everything constructive and good that people come together to accomplish. On the other hand, government is a group of people whose purpose is to protect us from our own weaknesses as a society. Paine says that the governments purpose is to protect life, liberty and property, and that a government should be judged by how they accomplish this goal. Paine then starts talking about a small group of people being put on an island and cut off from everything else. Over time these people will become close to each other, and law making becomes a must. He says that people are much happier if they are the ones that originally came up with the laws and that makes a lot of sense to me. I mean who wouldn’t want to make their own rules? Paine then starts to talk about and attack the British government. He says that their system is too complex and that the monarchy...
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...Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, Norfolk on January 29th, 1737. He was born to Quaker parents. His father, Joseph Paine was a stay-maker and his mother was the daughter of an attorney. After leaving his hometown Thomas eventually switched his career from being a stay-maker like his father to that of a customs official. In 1768, he was assigned to Sussex where he lived for the next six years. Throughout his traveling years from place to another, Paine made sure he educated himself. He bought books and scientific equipment from his scanty earnings and attended lectures. In 1770’s he found his first case and he indulged himself in this cause with a passion. Excise officers throughout Britain were appealing for better salaries and so Paine joined...
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...Common Sense, Thomas Paine’s expression of the pre-revolutionary America, these ideas were helped Americans finally reach their tipping point to seek independence from Great Britain. Thomas Paine pointed out all of the practical reasons why England had mistreated Americans, and why Americans could when freedom in a war for independence. Paine, a loyal patriot and one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence, put himself at risk by publishing his ideas, and could have been tried for treason in British courts. Thomas Paine began his pamphlet with his ideas of what a real democratic does and does not look like. Paine believed that society and government must be able to go hand in hand, and depend on each other in order to maintain a...
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...Paine’s World and the Relevance to American Now The Land of the Free unites citizens in many ways, yet divides us in other ways. Every morning students, from various cultures and upbringings, are brought together to say the Pledge of Allegiance. This unifies us through the belief that we are all from one nation under God, but separates those who do not believe in God. America unites the citizens with the Bill of Rights, a set of basic human rights guaranteed to every citizen, but those rights are just that, basic human rights. They do not capture every right and can leave citizens being unlawfully punished or mistreated. Thomas Paine believed America to be: “the simple operation of constructing government on the principles of society and...
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...Tutor Course Date History: A discussion of Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ article Qn.1 All men are equal Paine begins his argument by asserting the natural order of things that God ordained in men; that is, all men are equal. He, therefore, questions the way the British Empire could believe themselves to be extraordinary beings to the extent of subjecting the Americans to slavery by making all their important life decisions. Paine further notes that men and women are distinguished by nature, the good, and evil by faith. However, he wonders what kind of distinction assigns some human beings to be the rulers, in other words, the kings while the rest remain the subjects. According to Paine, it is unnatural and unfair for some human beings to believe themselves to be of more importance than the others. In his argument, Paine holds that hereditary monarchy through which the British exercise its political power obstructs the natural justice since no man should have preferential treatment over others. Paine further argues that Americas was focused on a higher calling. The main aim of such a calling was liberating the entire human race from slavery and affliction of self-imposed ‘earthly kings’. Americas Independence does her better than harm Paine suggests that America could be better without their colonial masters. He claims that England did not colonize America to protect it nor to make it flourish but to safeguard its interests. Paine criticizes those opposed to America’s independence...
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...Thomas Paine did not believe that mercantilism was a fair economic system. Paine went against the mercantilist notion that America could only function with a connection to Great Britain. In Common Sense (CS), Paine wrote that he wanted free trade with all nations, not just Great Britain. The Trade and Navigation Acts restricted free trade with all nations which went against Paine’s beliefs. Paine was anti-mercantilist, and did not believe government should have a strong role in regards to trade. Paine did believe that the colonies should have representation in the Parliament. Paine wrote the CS which influenced many people to fight for their independence and fight for their representation in the Parliament. In CS, Paine fights for American independence. In his argument, Paine began by comparing both government and society and gave his opinions and views on both. According to Paine, society is everything constructive that people join together to accomplish. Whereas government, is an institution whose only purpose is to protect us from our own misconduct. Paine believed that the people would be much happier if they were responsible for their own creation laws and rules. Paine argued that this type of system of representation would benefit the American colonists. He wanted a...
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...Tutor Course Date History: A discussion of Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ article Qn.1 All men are equal Paine begins his argument by asserting the natural order of things that God ordained in men; that is, all men are equal. He, therefore, questions the way the British Empire could believe themselves to be extraordinary beings to the extent of subjecting the Americans to slavery by making all their important life decisions. Paine further notes that men and women are distinguished by nature, the good, and evil by faith. However, he wonders what kind of distinction assigns some human beings to be the rulers, in other words, the kings while the rest remain the subjects. According to Paine, it is unnatural and unfair for some human beings to believe themselves to be of more importance than the others. In his argument, Paine holds that hereditary monarchy through which the British exercise its political power obstructs the natural justice since no man should have preferential treatment over others. Paine further argues that Americas was focused on a higher calling. The main aim of such a calling was liberating the entire human race from slavery and affliction of self-imposed ‘earthly kings’. Americas Independence does her better than harm Paine suggests that America could be better without their colonial masters. He claims that England did not colonize America to protect it nor to make it flourish but to safeguard its interests. Paine criticizes those opposed to America’s independence...
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...pro-independence states at the time, was a loyalist. “On the other hand, I will admit, for argument's sake, the colonists are able to protect themselves by land; yet this cannot be done without a union among themselves”(Hunt 14). Although Hunt believed in America’s ability to defend themselves, he did not believe in the country uniting as one. Hunt, a man of many talents with great scholar success, would ultimately choose to be a lawyer in Philadelphia. Hunt would earn a Bachelor's degree of the Arts in 1763, he would study law and earn his licence in 1765, and earn two more degrees in the Arts, one from Philadelphia in 1771 and the final one in New York in 1773. Hunt...
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...The Statesman, The Writer, and the Military Man: How George Washington, Thomas Paine, and Andrew Jackson Helped Construct America’s Identity All of America’s founding fathers contributed greatly to the formation of the United States and helped build this nation through their accomplishments and dedication to making their home a better place for all Americans. But of the 55-plus men whom history has given the name of “founding father,” the contributions of George Washington (1732-1799), Thomas Paine (1737-1809), and Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) stand out for their range of accomplishments, their contribution to critical components of democracy and its identity, and to military achievements that helped form the geography of the place we know as America. For me, this statesman, this writer, and this military strategist serve as the greatest examples of the titans of America we call our founding fathers. George Washington was not only our first president to be elected into office, but he is also notable for being the only president in the country’s history to receive a unanimous vote. Although our nation recognizes many founding fathers, Washington is known as the “Father” of The United States for many reasons — and not solely because he was elected as the first President of The United States in 1789 and unanimously elected again in 1792. His accomplishments before, during, and after his presidency have earned him the title “Father” of the United States. Washington assisted...
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...Instead branch off on their own and ultimately seek the “American Independence”. Paine structures his argument with context and substantive evidence as to why America needs to cut ties with England. Paine’s structures his argumentative essay by writing in a very direct demeanor. By Paine having this type of demeanor, he provoked a sense of urgency for change. Which is what he hoped to gain through this argumentative essay. Paine is urging a change before destruction arises. “We have boasted the protection of Great Britain without considering that her motive was interest not attachment; and that she did not protect us from our enemies on our account; but from her enemies on her own account, from those who had no quarrel with us on any other account, and who will always be our enemies on the same account.” Paine. T p.326 Despite any good England might have brought to them soon it will hinder them as a nation, either later or forever. His most persuasive point is “A government of our own is our natural right: and when a man seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, he will become convinced that it is infinitely wiser and safer to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance.” Paine. T p.330 That quote is what I find most...
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...simply use words to communicate and to express thoughts and ideas. Is this an accurate estimation, or do words hold a greater significance? How often do we reflect on the gravity that our words carry? How often are we influenced by the words of others? How often do we make decisions based on what other people say? The use of words can indeed have a tremendous impact on our beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews. This has certainly been the case throughout history. In the United States, a few texts have been particularly effective in dramatically reshaping public opinion. Among these are Common Sense by Thomas Paine and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Texts like these drastically changed the hearts and minds of many Americans, demonstrating the incredible impact that words can have on a group of people. Although Paine was born to a poor family, and although he received limited schooling, in 1776 he abruptly rose from obscurity to become one of the crucial figures of the American Revolution. After immigrating to America in 1774, Paine settled in Philadelphia, where he began a career as a journalist. Soon, America was engaged in a revolution with Great Britain. Although there was significant anti-British sentiment in America at the time, there was hesitation among colonists as to whether they should go to war with Great Britain. Although Paine was relatively unknown, his enormously influential Common Sense ignited the colonies, helping jumpstart the American Revolution. Paine’s...
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...British Crown took this as an act of treason and would hang the British Crown before acting on these measures. The American people thought that they should be able to send their own people to Britain's Parliament or at least vote for Britain's lawmakers. They were denied this right and the American people became strongly independent and wanted to do things for themselves. American people didn't want people an ocean away telling them how to live their lives. Let’s get down to what the British Crown was enforcing on the America’s in no real order. The French and Indian war ended with a large debt. From the British point of view, it was only right to have the American colonist pay a large sum of the debt for their defense. The combination of the harsh taxes and the lack of an American voice in Parliament gave rise to the famous phrase "taxation without representation." In 1764 the Sugar Act was enacted to raise revenue through a tax on sugar and molasses. This tax has been on the books since the 1730’s but smuggling and the lacking in enforcement did not bother them. The Sugar Act reduced the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, while Grenville took measures that the duty be strictly enforced. The act also listed more foreign goods to be taxed including sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, cambric and printed calico, and further, regulated the export of lumber and iron. The enforced tax on molasses caused the almost immediate decline in the rum...
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...for America now. We need to understand the building blocks of our world today, so we don’t make the same mistakes that we did from the past. Everyone should learn from the early settlers mistakes and not also repeat them. In politics people learn from histories mistakes so they will not get overturned and there will not be any civil wars. The role of literature in understanding the origins of American ideology is how freedom of religion, economic struggle, and the government is the same from 200 years ago to the present day. The economy 200 years ago would fluctuate from high to low just how it fluctuates now; people traded and tried anything to make a profit and sometimes the Europeans would give the Indians an unfair trade, just like how people today are capitalists in America and the bosses will do anything to increase their profits even if that gives the workers a lower wage for the same job. When people discover new things they are likely to make money off their discovery. “While the ships stayed, our allowance was somewhat bettered by a daily proportion of biscuit, which the sailers would pilfer to sell, give, or exchange with us, for money, sassafras, furs, or love” (Smith 67). Indians and Europeans are able to make profit off goods that the other group doesn’t make. Just like in our society today we buy China’s products that we don’t make and they buy ours that they don’t make. The foundation of our government elected officials is the government we had in America 200...
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...During the early 1600’s, the British joined the ranks of the French and Spanish by establishing their first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia. As time progressed, so did the numbers of colonies and their respective populations. Initially, the English were hoping to discover gold, but had no success. So the colonies became a means of gathering natural resources and an extension of British trade. Though conditions were harsh and the mortality rate was high, still, colonists were willing to risk their lives for the opportunities the new land promised. These privileges included land, religious freedom, and a political voice. Ideas of individualism and reason from the Enlightenment movement became the fundamental basis and driving factor for...
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