Shining examples of patriotism and passion are seldom found through pen and paper; namely one that can unite the country on two main goals with one goal that contrasts against a widely held belief. These examples are doubly rare in times of monumental wars between once allied nations. I believe your letter is the spark of revolution. Thomas Paine had Common Sense that greatly influenced one revolution, and now you and your letter give way to a social metamorphosis that will not be so easily forgotten or ignored. Though this movement will be met with strife and divided attention while your nation fights a war on two fronts against three dictators from all around the world. After reading your famed nine paragraph letter however, I reflected on the …show more content…
I know America and you know America, but because we are separated by time, we know two different places we call home. I will never know your struggles or the victories you have faced in our shared nation, nor will you know mine. Nothing is perfect, and America is certainly no exception. Great societies of long ago faced great problems just as we do today and just as you did then. However, to the restless, ambitious, and courageous populace; there is a light. To keep this land growing, to keep this land thriving, to keep this land inventing, innovating and trailblazing is the real worth of defending and so our nation stands out on the lone mountain of greatness is the dream we all share: The American Dream. The fifth question asked if America will be a pure and true democracy following the war. The word democracy is derived from the Greek language and means “the rule of the people.” Therefore the basis, regulation, characteristics and functions of our democracy lie in the hands of the people. Will this nation continue its long standing democratic values? Even after such a great of a hardship like World War 2? Only we the people have the power to
Thomas Paine’s objective in “The American Crisis” is to persuade Americans to untie and take action in ridding America of British control; his writings effectiveness is due primarily to his employment of religious diction, vivid imagery, a sentimental anecdote, an urgent tone, as well as his consistent exploitation of his audiences’ emotions.
There are few speeches in the American history that compel us towards great acts of patriotism. Patrick Henry's speech in the Virginia Provincial Convention of 1775 is a prime example of one of these great speeches. During the debates on whether or not to compromise with Great Britain, Patrick Henry proposed the idea to his fellow members of the First Continental Congress to declare war on Great Britain. A reason why the speech was so powerful was the rhetorical strategies of the diction of slavery, the appeal to God, and the appeal to logic, that he deftly employed. After Patrick Henry opens his speech by respectfully acknowledging the opposition for their own opinions, intellect, and patriotism, he gains the attention of the Congress
“Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavored to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us.” Such words scribed by the Revolutionary radical Thomas Paine epitomized the drive behind the American Revolution of the 18th century. For nearly two hundred years, the citizens of the American Colonies had been fastened securely to the wrist of the mother country, England. They had tolerated the tyrannous rule, but not without the simmer of rebellious thoughts. As England piled tax after tax onto their colonies, thoughts of revolution and revolt sprung up in the minds of the colonists and brewed there, waiting for a catalyst to drive them into action. The catalyst ignited on January 10th, 1776 when Thomas Paine published his fiery pamphlet ‘Common Sense’. The 48-page pamphlet presented before the colonists a vision for independence that had never been conceived before. It radically altered the course of the Revolution and would later find itself molding the foundation of America’s government indefinitely.
The eighteenth century, a time of turmoil and chaos in the colonies, brought many opinionated writers to the forefront in support or refutation of the coming American Revolution. This highly controversial war that would ultimately separate the future United States of America from Great Britain became the center of debate. Two writers, both of whom supported the Revolution, now stand to fully illuminate one side of the debate. Thomas Paine, a radical propagandist, wrote many pieces during this time including “The Crisis Number 1” (1776). Through writing, he appealed to the “common man” in order to convince them to gather their arms and fight for their freedom. In this document, he utilizes many of the same rhetorical skills and propaganda techniques as Patrick Henry, a convincing orator, did in his famous speech delivered to the state’s delegates in 1775. Among these techniques are transfer, abstract language, and pathos. In both works, these were used to call the audiences to war. These influential pieces both contained a call to action which, through the use of strong and decisive language, aided the beginning of the American Revolution.
...the America that is known and loved today. Although, empowerment of citizens is important, so is domination, which is why Roosevelt’s ideas of strong patriotism during the Progressive Era are not completely lost today.
The signers of the Declaration are to be thanked on behalf of the American people, the courageous sacrifices they showed in defending the people’s rights and standing their ground despite the consequences they faced, is certainly oddly astonishing. How outstanding is it that letters came to be mightier than swords and weapons? How glorious is it that such sacrifices were given for some words? Words that set free a whole society and abolished another? The Declaration is objectively a set of words, which were strong enough to end persecution under the mighty rule of monarchy, once and for
During 1776, the United States was at war to gain its own independence from the hands of the tyrant King George III and his kingdom. As the fightt continued, the spirits of the U.S. soldiers began to die out as the nightmares of winter crawled across the land. Thomas Paine, a journalist, hoped to encourage the soldiers back into the fight through one of his sixteen pamphlets, “The American Crisis (No.1)”. In order to rebuild the hopes of the downhearted soldiers, Thomas Paine establishes himself as a reliable figure, enrages them with the crimes of the British crown, and, most importantly evokes a sense of culpability.
Hudson, William E. American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America's Future. Washington, DC: CQ, 2010. Print.
In today’s society, The Declaration of Independence is still a living document. Many ingredients are still an enormous part of our lives and the way our government handles diverse matters. One of the clauses, however, is being completely taken out of context and should be addressed immediately. The United States’ Foreign Policy is an ongoing problem and will continue until we as nation get back to our roots an...
The United States is run by a democracy. There are many pieces to democracy that must be in good health in order for democracy to be effective and work. In this essay I will critique some of the most important parts of democracy in America and go deeper. I will first focus on the strengths of United States democracy and then I will dive into categories of democracy that I believe to not be thriving. I believe that the current conditions of United States democracy are becoming a hindrance to this nation, because the opinions and freedoms the public possess are being stripped away through poor media, education, and economy.
The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society. The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic... ...
Throughout history, revolutions have started because of new ideas that change thinking and disrupt what has come to be considered normal. During 1700s, the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions were no exception. The Enlightenment ideas that were spreading around this time lead people of these three nations to question their ruling elites, and to begin considering breaking free. Of these three, though, no one revolt can be seen as more radical when compared to the other two. Each was faced with the challenging task of successfully separating from the oppression that had been brought upon them by to powerful empires and monarchies who had lost sight of what the American, French, and Haitian people alike considered important, as well as being some of the first revolts to use radical Enlightenment ideas to justify each of their rebellions. They considered these rebellions their one shot at being able to break free.
We face different challenges and have different beliefs. While we all share a common appreciation for freedom as Americans, unlike Paine, it is not such concord and agreement alone that makes America unique. Rather, it is the diversity, the discord, that has shaped and shapes America today as the great country Thomas Paine envisioned. If all Americans were completely “brought into cordial unison,” there would be no change, no innovation, no desire nor need for betterment. With everyone in agreement, we would be surpassed by all other nations, as we would be satisfied with the ordinary, not striving for the best. While dissent is a danger to America, causing division and preventing progress, it is discord that fuels innovation and leads to improvement and success. Such discord, that Paine rejected in his vision of America, is one of the defining characteristics of today’s America that makes it a world power today, constantly striving to do
In conclusion, without struggle and without sacrifice this country would not have gained the independence and prove that united we stand and divide we fall. Thomas Paine quite elegantly put it “however strange it may appear to some, or however unwilling they may be to think so, matters not, but many strong and striking reasons may be given to shew, that nothing can settle our affairs so expeditiously as an open and determined declaration of independence” (Paine 111).
A government must be popular within its citizens to succeed yet one problem is the public’s disappointment with American democracy. An excellent example of such a problem would come from an African American soldier writing to President Roosevelt in 1944. In a time where racism was running rampant in America, many felt like the government was failing the greater good. “But the picture in our country is marred by one of the strangest paradoxes in our whole fight against world fascism”(pg. 277). The soldier is telling the President that while we are fighting for a world “based upon freedom, equality, and justice”(pg. 277), we do not practice what we preach. At home and within the ranks, the government was letting racism run free. In a time where segregation was not being opposed by the government but embraced, many people thought that the government was the problem. Democracy is where all men are looked at as equal. Well that was the war cry as American soldiers; well mostly white American soldiers, fought for freedom for all while fighting tyranny. This soldier was trying to brin...