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>