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Common Sense

It is hard to believe that a mere pamphlet could change the course of a nation indefinitely. After the Revolutionary War had begun, most Americans favored reconciliation with England. Most Americans still considered themselves to be loyal British subjects, and were willing to continue to do so if only the King would correct his most grievous transgressions. In early 1776, colonists suddenly began to support the idea of American independence. This dramatic change can be largely attributed to the work of one man, Thomas Paine. In "Common Sense," Paine tries to convince people that the time for debate was over and that it was now time for American Colonists to raise arms against England Using the language of the common man, Paine challenged many preconceived notions about government and the colonies' relationship to England. His prose forcefully reversed all presumptions that kept Americans clinging to England. Being an Englishman himself, he drew on his past experiences in England to expose the corruption and vile nature of the British monarchy and to encourage Americans to fight for independence. The ideas he invokes in his readers were truly revolutionary at the time of publication of "Common Sense," and today it is regarded as one of the most influential documents of political literature, as the writing that sparked an American Revolution.
To truly understand Thomas Paine's work, you must first understand the context in which he grew up because many of the ideas presented in his works stemmed from his past experiences. Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England in 1737 to Joseph and Frances Pain. Religion became a key conflict in Paine's life, his father was a Quaker and his mother was Anglican. These conflicting beliefs led to Paine's skepticism and the feeling of being an outsider of religion. It is from this removed position that he studied the hypocrisies and absorbed the moral values of each. As an adult Paine became very critical of...

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