GOING FURTHER WITH COMMON SENSE

“THE CHALLENGE” Heading into the

American Revolution, English colonies had been in North America for almost 170 years.

That’s as much time as there was between the Revolution and the dropping of the atomic bombs at the end of World War II

Paine was asking for a BIG change from colonists!

WHY WOULD AN ENGLISHMAN LIKE PAINE WANT REVOLUTION SO MUCH?

Paine’s thinking is an example of Enlightenment thought

Enlightenment philosophers believed humans had once existed in a state of nature with no government

Over time, humans created governments to provide protection

However, the protectors eventually became oppressors (kings, royalty) who contributed nothing to society.

Therefore, revolution was needed to throw off the rule of royalty

AMERICA AS A “DO OVER”

Paine and many others saw the European continent as becoming stagnant, corrupt, violent

They saw in America a “new world” in which society could be remade, more democratic, more free

ENGLAND AND AMERICA IN 1776 England (Great Britain,

today United Kingdom) had about 7 million people living in an area about half the size of California

The colonies had about 2.5 million, spread out over what would become the original 13 states

Plus, the North American continent was still largely unexplored

IMPACT OF THE PAMPHLET

500,000 pamphlets were sold in 1776 (remember, the population was only 2.5 million!)

Paine popularized Enlightenment ideas and wrote them so that common people could understand and be excited by them

PAINE’S ARGUMENTS FOR REVOLUTION It made no sense for a continent to be ruled by an island America wasn’t just “British” but had people from many

different places If Britain was the “mother,” she had not treated her

“children” colonists well (Boston Massacre, taxation without representation, Intolerable Acts, etc)

America would be dragged into European wars if it remained part of Britain

The distance between the two made governing difficult Colonists were never consulted before Britain made

decisions on their behalf Economically, it was in America’s interest to be free, so they

could trade with anyone. Royalty was an unfair, unjust form of government

DID IT CONVINCE EVERYONE?

No. There was never a time when over half of American colonists actually wanted independence from England and were willing to fight for it

There were probably more “patriots” (those fighting for American independence) than there were “tories” (those loyal to England.) But, many colonists simply stayed neutral and out of the fighting entirely

WHAT HAPPENED TO PAINE? After it became known

he wrote Common Sense, Paine became an American hero

After the American Revolution, Paine went to France during the larger French Revolution

While inspiring many there, he also got in trouble with the revolutionaries and was imprisoned

PAINE’S LATER LIFE Paine avoided being

beheaded and was freed to return to America

Once back here, he found life had moved on and many Americans had largely forgotten his writings

He died broke and largely unnoticed in 1809

He remains one of the lesser celebrated Founding Fathers…why?

PAINE’S CONTROVERSIAL THOUGHTS Paine really was “radical”,

and sometimes that offended people

On religion – “The Jews say, that their word of God was given by God to Moses, face to face; the Christians say that their word of God came by divine inspiration: and the Turks (Muslims) say that their word of God was brought by an angel from heaven. Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all."

Paine advocated for equal rights for women, long before most ever thought such a thing

He was also outspoken in his opposition to slavery and racism

Paine, like a lot of revolutionaries, could be “abrasive” and rub people the wrong way, seeming to never be satisfied with anything

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Write a half-page to one page summary of this reading activity. In addition to summarizing, answer the following:

Which of Paine’s arguments for independence do you think makes the most “common sense” to you? Explain why it makes sense.