Different times throughout history have faced different problems. From drought, to familine, to disease, and war, different civilizations have come head on with many, if not all of these problems at different times. Fortunately, each of these issues has a solution. For drought, building water storage facilities, for famine, food storage. The disease has vaccinations and different cures. War has its own strategies. During the American Revolution, America was in a tough spot. Thanks to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, America was able to overcome oppression, defeat Great Britain, and gain independence.
America becoming independent from Great Britain had been a long time coming, with the general population slowly gaining traction to a revolution. Starting with the seven years war, the tension between America and Great Britain was built. After the Treaty of Paris, which ended the seven years war, there were major repercussions, which furthered the rift between America and Britain. These include the British national debt doubling, colonial resistance to British revenue overture, and the dissolving of the idea of “natural rights” ideas that are popular in Great Britain.1
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The combination of these increased the idea of a revolution throughout the colonies. This being said, there are a few reasons why Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was so effective and popular.
The first reason is due to the religious tone and references within Common Sense. Starting in the 1730’s, the colonies had become a victim to The Great Awakening. Religion and spirituality was a part of everyday life for almost everyone living in colonial America. There were many different sects at the time. Anglican, Congregational, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Judaism were among the most popular.2 While not all are Christian, all of these mentioned religions believe very much in the Old Testament. Thomas Paine used this to his advantage while writing Common Sense. The whole document is scattered with religious and spiritual themes and words. However, section 2 is almost predominantly a callback to the Old Testament. Thomas Paine uses writing that is read and believed by most people in the colonies, and applies it to their own time. He reads from 1 Samuel 8. In that chapter, “Samuel’s sons take bribes and pervert judgment, The Israelites seek for a king to rule over them, and Samuel rehearses the nature and evils of kingly rule.”3 Specifically, Samuel states “This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”4
Thomas points out some of the sins of having a king, and having a hereditary rule. The main flaw of having a king, as written by Samuel, and stated by Thomas, is the abuse of power. The king has the ability to take for himself the hardest workers, the most skilled craftsmen, and the best bakers, and hog their ability for his own personal gain. While this happens, the common people, everyone else, receive no gain. Because Thomas compared the situation the Americans were in with those of the Israelites in the Old Testament, as well as the religious beliefs in the colonies, Common Sense was able to hit home with a lot of people, helping to persuade them to join the cause for freedom.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was not only beneficial at the time of its production, but also in our day. A lot of factors went into the successful distribution of Common Sense. Due to the political climate and background in the colonies, as well as the religious views of the people living here, along with the previous wars, all were important. They all laid the foundation for Common Sense. This being said, it is surprising to learn that Thomas Paine was not paid for his beneficial and persuasive writing.5 Because of the success of Common Sense, we gained our independence from Great Britain, became the United States of America, and enjoy all the freedoms of today.
Notes
- Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 6” January 22, 2020.
- Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 2” January 22, 2020.
- “1 Samuel 8.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/1-sam/8?lang=eng.
- “1 Samuel 8.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/1-sam/8?lang=eng.
- Paine, Thomas. Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. Signet Classics, 2003.
Bibliography
- Paine, Thomas. Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. Signet Classics, 2003.
- Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 2” January 22, 2020.
- Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 6” January 22, 2020.
- “1 Samuel 8.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/1-sam/8?lang=eng.
- “1 Samuel 8.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed January 29, 2020. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/1-sam/8?lang=eng.
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