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COMMON SENSEThomas Paine
January 10, 1776
Rallying, Influencing, Motivating.
Thomas Paine• Born in Britain,
January 29 1737
• Self taught
• Immigrated to America 1774
• Involved in American political life
• “The bearer Mr Thomas Pain[e] is very well recommended to me as an ingenious
worthy young man.” -Benjamin Franklin.
“I offer nothing more than simple
facts, plain arguments, and
common sense,”
Argued strongly for COMPLETE American Independence, Not just
freedom from British Taxation
• Revolutionary war Pamphlet
• English, 48 pages
• First Published anonymously January 10, 1776
• Printed & sold by R. Bell, Third street Philadelphia
• Sold 500,000 copies in first year & 25 editions
• Precursor to the Declaration of Independence, which was written six months later.
‘How did Common Sense succeed in inspiring so much
revolutionary feeling?’
• Used forceful everyday language, influencing both Blue & white collar workers.to attack the idea that the British King should rule the American Colonies
• American independence would be a victory for humans everywhere
• Words convinced many Americans' that the cause of independence was a just one.
• Played a central role in rallying public opinion, Convinced many who were unsure of the purpose of the war
• ‘The sun never shined on a greater cause of worth, tis not the concern of a day, a
year or an age. Prosperity will be affected, even to the end of time’
– T. Paine.
• “There is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually
governed by an island,”
• “We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never
to have meat.”
- T. Paine
Chapter I. ‘Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution.’
• Introduces idea that there is a difference between Government and Society.
• “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state
is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one…”
- T. Paine
Chapter 2 - ‘Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession’
• Paine argues that all men are born equal and there should be no distinction between kings and subjects.
• ‘In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; […]A pretty
business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and
worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.
-Thomas Paine
Chapter 3 - ‘Thoughts on the present State of American Affairs.’
• Examines hostilities between American Colonies and Britain.
• Argues for independence.
• Continental Charter "should come from some intermediate body between the Congress and the people… [we must
ensure] freedom and property to all men, and… the free exercise of religion.”
Constitution of the United States as proposed by
Thomas Paine in Common Sense
Chapter 4 – ‘On the Present Ability of America, with some
Miscellaneous Reflections.’,
• Paine's optimistic view of America's military potential.
• “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present
numbers are sufficient to repel th force of all the world”• T. Paine
Paine’s PAIN. • It was absurd for an island to rule a continent.
• America was not a British nation
• Britain the "mother country" should take better care of it’s ‘child’, the colonies.
• Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars,
• The distance
• Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.
• Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and would not let the colonies have a say
Common Sense Succeeds?• ‘The instant formal government is abolished, society
begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security’
• ‘It is not a field or a few acres of ground, but a cause that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle or by degrees, the consequences will be the
same.’
• ‘It is the direction and not the magnitude which is to be taken into consideration’
• ‘Lead, follow, or get out of the way’
• ‘Until an independence is declared the continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some
unpleasant business […] continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity.’
• Crucial in turning American opinion against Britain and was one of the key factors in the colonies' decision to engage in a battle for complete independence
• Continental congress in 1774 not all convinced that complete independence was desirable.
• "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would
have been raised in vain.” – Adams, John.
Success again• December, 1776, New Jersey
• ‘[to] reap the blessings of freedom, [we] must undergo the fatigue to support it’
• “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in
this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the
conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”T. Paine
Conclusion• Thomas Paine created written revolution
• Common Sense forever renowned as instruction, motivational, and revolutionary
• He INDEED created feeling of revolution.
• ‘To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather been loaded with taxes than not.’
-T. Paine
Bibliography - Textual• Paine, Thomas, 2004, Common Sense,
Penguin Books, Suffolk, England. - Primary Source
• Paine, Thomas, Rights of Man, 2006, Allen & Unwin, Sydney Australia-Primary Source
• Nelson, Craig, Thomas Paine; His Life, His Time and the Birth of Modern Nations, Profile books, 2006, London England
Bibliography - Web• SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Common Sense.” SparkNotes LLC. n.d..
(accessed March 22, 2011). <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/commonsense/ >
• Lepore, Jill, 2006, ‘Was Thomas Paine too much of a freethinker for the country he helped free?’ (accessed March 22, 2011). http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/16/061016crbo_books
• IMAGES
• Many artists, 2009, ‘Oil Painting Reproduction of Thomas Paine’. (accessed 4/4/11) <http://www.oilpaintingsonlineshop.com/page-c-48_79.html?cPath=48_79&perpage=48&sort=2a&page=36>
• tcmsmontulli1-2a, 2007, ‘Commonsensepamphletcpoy[1]’ (accessed 4/4/11) http://tcmsmontulli1-2a.wikispaces.com/Commen+Sense
• Gauthier-Pilote, Mathieu, 2007, ‘Diagram representing the constitution of the United States as proposed by Thomas Paine in Common Sense’ (accessed 4/4/11) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution-usa-thomas-paine.png>
Bibliography - Videos• Wiley Studios, 2010, ‘The Wisdom of Thomas Paine’
(Accessed: 3/4/11) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBTrfy8HuEQ&feature=fvwrel
• How Stuff Works, 1998, ‘Assignment Discovery: Thomas Paine.’ (Accessed: 3/4/11) http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29500-assignment-discovery-thomas-paine-video.htm
• Goldenage, 2008, ‘The American Revolution: Common Sense’ (Accessed: 3/4/11) http://www.videopediaworld.com/video/25337/The-American-Revolution-Common-Sense
• Jwhitlockhale, 2009, ‘Thomas Paine's Common Sense’, (Accessed: 11/4/11) <http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Thomas_Paine_s_Common_Sense&video_id=100953>