Common Sense An Influence on American Independence Essay

What would influence you to fight for American Independence? Would your familys’ views, your friend’s views, or the views of a political pamphlet influence you? In the beginning of the American Revolution, a man by the name of Thomas Paine wrote a political pamphlet that would influence many Americans to fight for independence from Britain. Thomas Pain used several ideas that include government is a necessary evil, America will eventually be independent, Britain will always oppress the American Colonies to influence the American People, and the importance of allies. Thomas Paine was born on January 29th, 1737 in Thetford, England. He began working for his father at the age of 13 which is when his formal education ended. He became a†¦show more content†¦It was also widely popular. It was not only popular in America but also in Britain as well. It was later translated into Spanish, French, and German. The ideas in Common Sense played a significant role in independence in South America in the nineteenth-century (Claeys). Thomas Paine was able to influence the American people because of his ideas about government he included in the pamphlet. Thomas Paine begins Common Sense with the idea that government and society have different means and are often confused with each other. He states that â€Å"society is produced by our wants†, it is positive by â€Å"uniting our affections†, it â€Å"encourages intercourse†, and is a â€Å"patron† (Paine). Paine describes government as begin the opposite. He describes government as being produced by â€Å"our wickedness†, it promotes â€Å"negatively by restraining our vices†, â€Å"creates distensions, and government is a â€Å"punisher† (Paine). In conclusion to this, he describes government as â€Å"a necessary evil† (Paine). Government is a necessary evil because a government is needed to regulate a society and â€Å"protect life, liberty, and property†. He proposes the American Colonies are in need of a new government. He gives suggestions on how government officials should be elected. He also suggests that a â€Å"Continental Charter† be written at a Constitution Conference†. The type of government he proposed was a republican government. Paine suggests that only representation is crucial to â€Å"the strength ofShow MoreRelatedHow Did Thomas Paine Influence The American Revolution795 Words   |  4 Pagesaccepted â€Å"Common Sense†. He is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and had a major influence on the American Revolution by helping shape many of the ideas that marked the Age of Revolution. His extremely popular Common Sense pamphlet (which I will be discussing in this essay) was the first pamphlet to advocate for American Independence. Common Sense is the best-selling book in American history, a statistic that speaks to the power that the book held. 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