Thomas Paine
For many years Thomas Paine was the epitome of American histories greatest drawback. In American history there is always that one detail that doesn’t make it into popular curriculum. Whether it be the point of view from the loosing side of a war, to the secret dalliances of a popular politician, to the truth of a times social opinion- the American student is taught only so much. The most proper, popular material makes it in; along with any major facts too commonly known to ignore. Anything else is liable to fall to the wayside without enough support from historians or academia. There is always room for the improvement of materials taught; so said, it would seem there is much more to know about Thomas Paine than is currently taught. Within the last twenty years there has been a resurgence of interest in both Thomas Paine and his work. The new social consciousness is more in tune with his writings, and his underdog status appeals to many.
His blunt style of speech has earned him admiration in many corners; in fact one of President Ronald Regan’s more clever speech writers took to adding exerpts from Paines’ writings into the President’s major addresses. Paine has lately been heralded as “Americas’ first modern intellectual”, and is the subject of numerous books which have come out within the last four years. Common knowledge of Paine includes his birth in 1737 in Thetford, England, his writing of the Common Sense pamphlet in 1776, and his involvement in the American Revolution. Less common knowledge is his other writings: The Crisis, Rights of War and The Age of Reason; along with his role in the French Revolution. Even further down the path into the obscure is his brief French citizenship, his time in a Frenc...
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...oks other then that he was the author of the Common Sense pamphlet.
No mention of his personal contributions in fighting the war and maintaining the government. Not a word of how he gave his last cent to the cause of the revolution and then went begging for more. Here we have a man who helped spark the flame of revolution that brought about the United States of America, relegated to the role of cheerleader.
Thomas Paine gave his all for America, always going openly and honestly about his work, and in the end sacrificing his own life so that the truth might be heard.
Bibliography:
Wood, Gordon S. “Disturbing The Peace” New York Review of Books June 8, 1995
Wilentz, Sean “The Air Around Thomas Paine” New Republic April 24, 1995 Vol. 212 Issue 17
Keane, John “Tom Paine: A Political Life” Little/Brown 1995 Comptons Encyclopedia, William Benton 1973
His exceptional writing and simple style reached many receptive ears across the Colonies. He also spoke plainly as was with de Crevecoeur yet tended away in his writing from the rural and the pleasant and more towards politics and the ugly truths that were part of colonial life. Consider his most famous work “Common Sense” it is an agitation against the crown of England, this would become a pattern with the man. In its most basic form “Common Sense” is a call to arms and revolution. It is also a great if very lengthy argument for what should happen after the war is won establishing a republic. “The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth. ’Tis not the affair of a city, a county, a province, or a kingdom; but of a continent—of at least one-eighth part of the habitable globe. ’Tis not the concern of a day, a year, or an age; posterity are virtually involved in the contest, and will be more or less affected even to the end of time by the proceedings now” (Paine 136). This is Paine’s original thoughts on the matter and his beginning argument. He continues with “We have boasted the protection of Great Britain without considering that her motive was interest, not attachment; and that she did not protect us from our enemies on our account, but from her enemies on her own account, from those who had no quarrel with us on any other account, and who will always be our enemies on the same account.” (Paine 137). It seems a pretty simple argument to the author that Americans are only entangled in foreign wars because of the association with Great Britain. He makes another assertion that “America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no European power taken any notice of her. The commerce by which she hath enriched herself are the necessaries of life, and will always have a market while eating is the custom of Europe.” (Paine 137). Paine’s call to a republic
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.
Paine was no fool. He had an innate sense for politics and people in general. His sophisticated writing and carefully planned rhetoric repeatedly swayed the masses in works such as Common Sense and The Rights of Man. The publication of The Crisis came at a time when the odds were heavily agai...
Paine believed that America needed to break free of the British clutches. He spoke out against slavery and joined the army to help fight the war. He did not agree with hereditary monarchy and wrote another paper to argue this point (Franklin 321). Paine was very aware of his criticizers, and worked very hard to persuade them toward his way of thinking. In his pamphlet Common Sense he writes: "I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness, and will always have the same effect"(Paine 323). Paine states the following argument: ."..for I answer roundly, that America would have flourished as much, and proba...
Thomas Paine wrote a series of pamphlets anonymously in 1776, targeted at the average member of society, showing his belief in the American Revolution. He was an extremist and most of his ideas stemmed from The Enlightenment. Throughout the series, he discusses society and government in a comparative way. He chose to remain anonymous at the time of writing these, and its understandable why. In his writings, the first chapter alone, he challenges monarchy and the corruption within, and also challenges the idea of kings and monarchy.
Claeys, Gregory. Thomas Paine: Social and Political Thought. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1989. ebook Collection (EBSCOhost). 16 25 2013.
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.
Back in the late 1700s America was still a newly founded country and Paine was trying to make and image where America was great with absolutely no problems. America suffers with almost no unity and though some of Paine 's statements were accurate and some not so much this shows that with time everything changes. The country Paine characterized is a country where the majority of Americans want to live in. A country where there is equality and justice, but one day this country will achieve that again with
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The Revolutionary war had many political writers; who tried to encourage change through their writing. One of the successful writers was Thomas Paine. Paine was a one of the most famous propagandist at the time. He wrote pamphlets to persuade soldiers and others to participate in the fight for freedom. His writing in “The Crisis 1” is very influential and plays a role in the history of the Revolution. The Crisis 1 was said to have been written during General Washington’s retreat across the Delaware, and was read to soldiers who were suffering and had low spirits. Thomas Paine’s writing is said to have inspired courage among the soldiers which led to victory.
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