Category: Thomas Paine

Introduction

The question of whether there is a supreme being behind the existence the universe is a one that has confounded many people to date. This paper will therefore attempt to shed some light on Deism as postulated by various philosophers. To do this, the essay will look at works done David Hume, John Locke and Thomas Paine.

Deism

Many human beings do grapple with the question of whether there is a supreme being behind all creation. David Hume has considered the question as to whether a supreme deity exists as an unanswerable question to many people. Hume, a Scottish philosopher of Empiricism, objected to the idea that the human mind was actually conceived and designed by God.

Rather, the mind serves as a resource through which we empirically find God (Kramnick, 74). He feels that the universe is full of vice that it is hard to convince anyone that a supreme being was behind its creation. He therefore speculates it must have been created by an infant deity who might have abandoned it after creation.

In other words through use of reason human beings have attempted to answer the question of whether a supreme being is still active in day to day life or not. One can tell that Hume presupposes that supreme creator cannot be perceived through revelation but through reason. This supports his assertion God is absent and that only natural laws were left to govern without interference (Warburton, 78).

Nature of Deism

John Locke was another philosopher who looked at the very nature of Deism. Just like Hume, he believed in reason as the greatest asset a person should have for his guidance; not revelation. It can be seen here that Locke believed that God had left everything to reason. It is ironical that though revelation is not part of deism, Locke believed in it.

The notion of Deism and reason was further propounded by Thomas Paine. He confessed his belief in one God only. Thus he hoped for happiness beyond life. Paine asserts that reason influences our conscience. It is for this reason that perhaps Paine later that the religious duty should entail being just to loving to the general happiness of all (Kramnick, 123).

Paine also advocated for morality. He added that it is only through reason that the work of God is contemplated and celebrated. This is true in the present world. Once people reason through asking questions about creation one may end up building belief in God (Argyle, 79).

Christianity and Deism is equally a controversial subject. Paine for instance argues that Deism is superior to the Christian religion because Deism believed in God and nothing else; unlike Christianity, which on top of believing in God, adds other things like doctrine, creed, beliefs etc (Grensted, 89).

Elements

A clear analysis in this essay shows that most of the Deists share some element of common approach towards the existence of God (James, 90). They do not refute the existence of the Deity but they try to appreciate that reason or intellect is a reliable source of telling whether God exists or not. It is through their views that we are told that natural intuition, an aspect of the mind, satisfactorily confirms the existence of God (Kramnick, 136).

There seems also to be a general agreement among the Deists that a supreme being may have created the universe and then left it to be governed by natural laws (Kramnick, 129). They also refuted revelation as rather sentimental and not empirical.

Conclusion

In conclusion therefore we can see that the question whether God really exists has raised many a controversy as some may use it to attack Christianity. It however strengthens the belief in the existence of a creator in empirically.

Works Cited

Argyle, Michael. Psychology and Religion: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2000

Grensted, Laurence William. Psychology and God: A Study Of the Implications of Recent Psychology for Religious Belief and Practice .London: Longmans, Green and co., 1930

Kramnick, Isaac. The Portable Enlightenment Reader. New York: Penguin Books, 1995

Warburton, Nigel . Philosophy: the Basics, New York: Routledge, 2004

Quotes on religion

Ideas of Deity

Paines idea of deity is that the first cause a man can attribute to God is the cause of all things. He rejects the traditional conception that there is a time that a man would have eternal duration. He saw the idea of conceiving and believing that there is no end as outrageous (Paine, The Age of Reason, 2008).

The quote clearly depicts Thomas Paine as a deist but not a theist. He uses the model of enlightenment to purvey his issues on the logic of religion. Thomas Paine criticizes conservative views of religion. Strong in his texts is the belief that the traditional church is a mere creation of humankind and therefore false.

Also, he describes the church as a setup not only to chain but also to frighten them. It aims at monopolizing yield and dominance. Paine was extremely sentimental about how religion maintains things as they are.

It was a way of ensuring that the social structure remains the same. He dismisses the beliefs of the church as an established entity with a single God. His quotes on the duties of the church were insensible (Lucci, 2008).

Traditional Christian values and virtues of justice, mercy and other creeds of the church were an invention according to him (Dolbeare, 2009).

Paine discusses the inconsistencies that are present in the biblical texts. A good example he noted was that the first five books in the Old Testament were quite contradicting. The traditional view that Moses was the author of the books in his view did not hold. He reasons that Moses died before the era of the Pentateuch and contents in these books were irrelevant.

He questions the value of morality in the bible. The descriptions of war and punishment that befall people in the Bible are his base line of argument. Gods morality is in question here as he allows his people to suffer. A French philosopher by the name Voltaire agrees with Paine that this kind of traditional religion could eventually lead to atheism.

Christianity, he says, is a religion that is irrational and would result in immorality. Benjamin Franklin, unlike the two, maintains his conservative views on God and his beliefs in religion. He writes about thanksgiving, loyalty and service to God. All of them, however, agreed on some dogmas about religion (Hentz, 2010).

According to Paine, the nature speaks a universal language that is original and every man can understand it. The language cannot be neither counterfeited nor altered since it is based on original truth confirmed through the senses. Empirically, it is true since there is enough evidence. On this view, Thomas refutes faith to know the world (Paine, The Age of Reason, 2008).

Paine (2008) notes, To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead (p.84).

He believes that through reasoning man could discover God. Nature spoke a clear language to him that is free from manipulation and contradictions from men. The religious texts were open to exaggeration and forged information since man writes them as God dictates. He argues that science is able to discover phenomena through the senses and therefore offer rational judgement (Corfe, 2007).

Thomas ideas are more radical than those of other philosophers mainly due to their presentation, the way he captures his audience and includes all classes. His ideas, as he projects, are exclusive. His inclusion of the less privileged including farmers makes his unique work of other philosophers. Other philosophers were particularly specific to their target audience. That is why he is the most radical liberal of his time (Lucci, 2008).

Political Quotes

Paine. (2009). These are the times that try mens souls (p. 102).

Thomas Paine is particularly radical on the political spectrum. He advocates for true democracy and revolution. Different from the likes of Burke who were conservative valued the meaning of revolution. Burke sees any worth in the French and American Revolutions; in fact, he shows sympathy to the colonists.

He supported the existing tradition as well as the things as they are unlike Paine. Thomas Paine rejects Burkes ideas on maintaining the social order. He campaigned against the existing social order calling the forming new social order (Paine, The American Crisis, 2006).

Paine continues and notes that the constituents of monarchy exclude a man from empowerment and information that would change him. He sees this as a hindrance against the highest form of judgement. Once this comes to reality, man is likely to rebel against the traditional system of governance (Dolbeare, 2009).

Thomas Paine Revolutionary ideas went a long way in influencing the commons mans rights, freedoms and responsibilities. He is famous for enlightening people of their civic tasks and dignity in Europe, America and England. He plays a significant revolutionary role in these continents. He receives credit for naming The United States of America. Napoleon suggests the erecting a gold effigy to honour him (Dolbeare, 2009).

References

Corfe, R. (2007). Deism and Social Ethics. Suffolk: Arena Books.

Dolbeare, K. M. (2009). American Political Thought. Washington: CQ Press.

Hentz, J. M. (2010). The Real Thomas Paine. Mexico: Inverse.

Lucci, D. (2008). Scripture and Deism. Bern: Peter Lang.

Paine, T. (2006). The American Crisis. Fairford: Echo Library.

Paine, T. (2008). The Age of Reason. Sioux Falls: NuVision Publications.

Let us start by saying that it is a commonly known fact that concrete people create history and they can make the history of the whole humanity turn this or that way. In the course of the development of human society there were a lot of people who were really significant. One of them was Thomas Paine.

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was an author, intellectual, revolutionary and he was even called one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. John Ferling called him a skilled artisan, sometime bureaucrat, drifter, and lethargic visionary¹. It is known that his life was full of numerous challenges, victories and defeats. Historians say that he was a very temperamental man and this can be easily proved by the following quotation:

Let them call me a rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a Scottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man.²

Thomas Paine was born in England in a poor family and lived and worked there until age 37 when he abandoned his motherland hoping at age thirty-seven to begin life anew¹. He emigrated to the British American colonies due to Benjamin Franklins support. It must be admitted that Paine adored him. Paines work as an editor of Pennsylvania Magazine (1775-1777) must be stressed, because it influenced the atmosphere of indecision that was characteristic of that time. His pamphlet Common Sense (1776) suggested arguments and proofs that supported American independence.

His pro-revolutionary pamphlet series under the title The American Crisis (17761783) also deserves mentioning, because it was so impressive that G. Washington gave an order to read it to soldiers to support their fighting spirit

In 1787 Thomas Paine came to France, in 1791 he published the first part of the work Rights of Man, in which he welcomed and supported The French Revolution and gave grounds and reasons for his idea that republic had a lot of advantages in comparison with monarchy. For Paine the king was above all a symbol of an infuriating paradox³. Paine tried to inspire English people to fight against and to dethrone monarchy as it had been done in France. In Great Britain he was accused of treachery and he had to escape to France where he became the member of The National Convention, despite not speaking French.

In December, 1793 after the usurpation of power by Robespierrs supporters Thomas Paine was imprisoned for the term of ten months on the ground that he was against French monarchy. He was released in 1794. He became notorious because of his work The Age of Reason (1794-1796) that was advocating deism. Those people in America who supported monarchy proclaimed this book by Paine the Bible of atheism and blasphemy. Jefferson in his preface to The Human Rights asserted that his principles coincided with Paines political views. That was why Pains works became frequently attacked and criticized, because some people tried to harm Jefferson. At the same time liberals in America supported Thomas Paine and they even used his works as textbooks in educational programs for adults.

Paine remained in France during the early Napoleonic era. In 1800 Jefferson became President of the USA and he asked Thomas Paine to return to America. In 1802, at President Jeffersons invitation, Paine returned to America where he died in 1809.

Works Cited

Downes, Paul. Democracy, Revolution, and Monarchism in Early American Literature. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Ferling, John. A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Paine, Thomas. The American Crisis. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

Footnotes

1. Ferling, John. A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003) 150.
2. Paine, Thomas. The American Crisis. (Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004) 8.
3. Downes, Paul. Democracy, Revolution, and Monarchism in Early American Literature. (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2002) 54.³ Downes, Paul. Democracy, Revolution, and Monarchism in Early American Literature. (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2002) 54.

Common Sense as written by Thomas Paine was initially published in 1776 during the time of the American Revolution. It was a pamphlet that provided the colonists in America with arguments to get independence from the rule and occupation of the British. It is well-known that Common Sense reached out to hundreds of thousands of people who were desperate to get independence and inspired them into a fight for their liberty.

At a time when a lot of uncertainty prevailed after the war, Paine won over the American people with his simple words which served as motive power for people to get confident about what they wanted. He made them realize that rulers were in fact the representatives of the people and that the Monarchy of the British government had no basis to rule over them. The pamphlet was aimed at convincing people that they should not be ruled by a King who was born to rule rather than has been chosen by people to govern for them, in other words, the fact that the British Monarch had inherited his right to be a king, did not mean that he could govern for the people of America.

Common Sense did not simply try to convince people that they had to fight for their independence. Its aim was to demonstrate the incompetence of the government. Paine himself kept to the point that government might be a necessary evil, but it had to work in the best interests of people taking care of their welfare and expectations. The pamphlet made people suddenly realize that they deserved proper representation. By his work, Paine inspired a vast majority of Americans, and not only men but women (for instance, Abigail Williams) whose most utmost desire was getting independence from their husbands. At the time when the pamphlet was released, independence was much desired and Paine reached out to a large number of people at an appropriate time defending independence from the British. Moreover, the pamphlet made people realize the importance of American independence, which marked the beginning of a radical movement.

Apart from working on Common Sense, Paine is known for having a number of occupations in Britain before his coming to America in 1774. Firstly, he worked as a supernumerary officer at Thetford from 1761 to 1762. After that, he got a position of an excise officer in 1762 in Lincolnshire, and in August 1765, he was fired from this position for committing alleged discrepancies. Until he was reinstated to the position of an excise officer, he worked for some time as a stay maker in Norfolk and then as a servant for some nobility. Paine was a minister of the Church of England until 1767 after which he got work as a school teacher in London. From February 1768, he worked with Lewis in East Sussex where he developed an interest in civic matters and was introduced to members of the elite intellectual society called Society of Twelve which indulged in discussions of town politics. Paine actively associated with the church group Vestry that made collections to be distributed amongst the poor. During the years 1772 and 1773, he was occupied in working with excise officers who demanded the parliament to improve their working conditions and increase their payments. This occupation inspired Paine to the creation of his first political work titled The Case of the Officers of Excise. Finally, in 1774 he was introduced to Benjamin Franklin by a friend who recommended his emigration to America and he arrived in Philadelphia on November 30^th, 1774.

In sum, Thomas Paine had numerous occupations before arriving in America in 1774 where he published his Common Sense, a pamphlet, which has strongly influenced American peoples ideology and contributed greatly to their fight for independence.

Works Cited

Hitchens, Christopher. Thomas Paines Rights of Man: A Biography. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007.

Paine, Thomas. Essential Thomas Paine: Common Sense, The Rights of Man. Plume, 1984.

Roark, James L. American Promise, 4^th Edition. Bedford/St. Martins, 2008.

The age of reason can mainly be recognized as the era that transformed the way that the Americans reason and live their lives. Both Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin were fervent writers of their time. They were both way more concerned with enlightenment. They both had a longing or desire of producing new developments in either science, religion or politics. These similarities in ambition, drive, innovation, as well as objectives, are in all probability the reason as to why these two had an interest in each other. They, however, all wanted to make this world more informed, aiming at challenging the old ideas. Their main goal was to make the world a more successful and open-minded place. Paine had a strong belief in human right and that no other institution be it state authority or religion could take away the freedom that man naturally deserves (Schofield, 2015). Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, essentially unified hard work and constant self-improvement strategies directed at improving life as a self-made man. His life exhibited his strong beliefs towards humanity. However, regardless of their differences, they both laid or generated a powerful foundation for an open society where people are free to pursue liberty.

Thomas Paine notably contributed to the American Revolution through his prominent, incendiary writings. He criticized the divine rights of the king, advising the American colonist to revolt against the colonial rule by throng the slavish dependence on a tyrannical government. He advised for the formation of a new nation that would have freedom of expression, association, education, and religion. He was a very willful and controversial gentleman who believed that America had the right to be free from the colonial rule. In his writings, he wrote that ‘it is a natural right for America to have its own government” (Mills, 342-344)

To Franklin, life is too short meaning that people should never waste time (Wilson, 700-702). This was the leading purpose as to why he always spent his days working tirelessly to make a life full of prosperity. He generated a foundation for the formation of American values and characters which are deep-rooted to Protestants Christianity. Under the tradition of Puritanism, hard work, education, discipline self-improvement, and frugality laid the premise from which the nation was finally built. Being born in a puritan family that believed in God as the creator of the universe and everything therein, Franklin believed in the natural innocence of human. He trusted that if education could be appropriately undertaken it would modify the lives of the Americans, setting them free from the tyrannies of religion and authority. He, therefore, made every attempt to help people meet means of individual happiness through many sayings and terms that motivated the working families.

As a matter of fact, at this period of “age of reason,’ it was a strenuous time for the English colonies. People were in a tough moral battle between themselves whether to stay true to the colonial rule or to make a move towards independence. Paine was known as the father of revolution in the sense that he finally became an inspirational writer. His presence, endeavors, and literature brought to the people bravery they needed for them to be independent or rather fight for independence and freedom. Unlike Franklin, Paine trusted that individuals were not born in a given state in life, but they came into the world with fundamental, indestructible rights. Having the idea of undisputable rights and freedom for human beings, he, therefore, was able to build foundations of freedom for human beings. This all began with a common sense where Paine convinced his readers that they needed to rebel against the English colonial rules, thus sparking the American Revolution (Mills, 342-344).

Anticipating the formation of a new society that would be governed by rightfully elected individuals to represent their people, the colony could only abandon the tyranny. Both Franklin and Thomas Paine were devout, only that Paine held strong beliefs that would ultimately affect his literature negatively. To him, all national institutions emerged as human inventions set up to scare and enslave human beings by monopolizing power and profit. Paine felt that an institution is not necessary for the human mind to comprehend their rights and the universe overall. Only human reasoning is needed for people to come upon natural laws and privileges of mankind in the world. Therefore, the age of reason became a time of debate that still endures to this day. Due to his stance on the fight for human freedom and liberty, most of his advocates avoided him. Without Thomas Paine, the American nation would not have thrived so incredibly.

Age of reason was a time that people noted the beliefs in the ability of reason to uncover the truth. Paine discerned that men who were still loyal to the colonial rule were the worst men, weak at heart. They do not have any grasp of what is good about their lives and do not appreciate the blessings of life. He recognized that those loyalists do not retaliate even when persecuted by the British. On the other hand, Benjamin condems the laziness more because laziness and idleness are the very opposite of what he always stoves to develop his life. He compares the idle men in the society to a hog, affirming that those people that are lazy are good for nothing (Wilson, 700-702). Unlike Pine, Benjamin does not fight the revolutionary war or politics more because he was attempting to showcase the great things about every human being in America.

Although Franklin and Paine are opposite on how they reach the whole idea on building a foundation of freedom and liberty in the society, both are a result of enlightenment. They both were inspired to make new development in public institutions. This is possibly the reason as to why they all both had interest in each other. They both had a fascination in enlightening the world to free society from colonial rule. They both felt that humans should be able to either rule themselves or make self-development. America has an amazing history of revolution and liberation. Many people and events have helped give rise to the molding of the nation that we know today. The forefathers, Benjamin, and Thomas both pioneered the establishment of society and government that would ensure unalienable rights for the Americans and people from all walks of life. American People are therefore prompted to enjoy real life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

In conclusion, Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin were both different in their fight for liberty. Paine’s main interest and contribution involved in politics. He believed that Americans had a natural right to make a government of their won. Franklin, on the other hand, gave rise to the revolution through increasing confidence of humanity through personal efforts and social reforms disclosing the optimism and self-confidence of his life.

The Declaration of Independence says that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This revolutionary document that was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson, was instituted with this powerful first sentence. It sets the tone for the several rights and ideals stated in the document. Though Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the profound ideals that influenced the execution of it was spotlighted in Thomas Paine’s pamphlet titled Common Sense. Both Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were advocates for independence from Great Britain and the equal rights of all people under a democratic government, but their written works exude their ideals in differing tones. Thomas Paine adopted an informal tone in Common Sense to persuade his audience, meanwhile Thomas Jefferson took on a formal tone to declare his ideals in the Declaration of Independence. Paine’s use of an informal tone was effectual in being able to touch all sorts of people.

Thomas Paine generated an informal tone in Common Sense by using logos, pathos, and ethos. Paine appealed to logos by reinforcing his convictions with solid evidence to prove the beneficence of America becoming independent. He also appealed to logos by emphasizing Britain’s aristocratic behavior towards America, which he thought the Americans should drift away from in order to move forward as one unified and independent country. Ethos was also used by Paine to root for the U.S. in its fight for independence over Great Britain and since Paine was born and raised in Britain his inspirational words established integrity since it was coming from a foreigner looking in. Paine was well known for his deistic beliefs, but in spite of this he still managed to relate his message using the Bible as a reference knowing that it was highly valued by the Americans. “Paine announced that not only did there not exist a divine right of kings, but that the proof lay within the pages of the Bible itself, and that the King/Lords/ Commons balance of powers was nothing but a theatrical performance, helping subjects believe the myth of their system’s fairness and equity, when in fact it was corrupt and oligarchic. He explained how adults do not require any fatherly king (or mother country) to oversee them; they only need the rule of law” (Nelson, 239). This particular quote shows how he was able to equate with the Americans using their religious values as evidence. Lastly, by using Pathos, he stated that the journey to freedom may bring feelings of fear, but it will all be worth it in the long run. Craig Nelson supported this claim when he said that “Thomas Paine spiritually transformed an unfocused and confusing civil war into an ennobling crusade of good confronting evil, following a course both difficult and frightening, but ending with a triumph that was inevitable” (239). Craig Nelson is merely suggesting that the difficult journey towards independence was worth it. Each of these methods of persuasion used in Common Sense ultimately produced an informal tone that any one person could relate to.

Furthermore, Thomas Paine’s informal tone in Common Sense made his pamphlet accessible and intelligible to a diverse audience in 1776 when it was published. Paine’s word selection was simplified making it easy for everyone to comprehend. This informal tone and style of writing he practiced set him apart from most other writers of his time and allowed him to have an extraordinary influence in America. According to the article “The Common Style of Common Sense” it is said that “To communicate with such an audience, he had to craft his arguments in simple words and sentences. As he himself put it “As it is my design to make those that can scarcely read and understand, I shall therefore avoid every literary ornament and put it in language as plain as the alphabet” (Sigelman 374). This illustrates how conscious Paine was in making his pamphlets accessible to all educational levels. His initiative was applauded by none other than Thomas Jefferson himself, who once stated, “No writer has exceeded Paine in ease and familiarity of style, in perspicuity of expression, happiness of elucidation, and in simple and unassuming language” (Sigelman 374). Though Thomas Jefferson was supportive of Paine’s informal writing style and inspirational message, his particular style and tone took an entirely different approach in the Declaration of Independence.

Contrarily, Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence using a formal tone. The tone used in this important document that made a mark in U.S. history may also be identified as confident and assertive. These modes of writing used to convey the desire to become an independent country are essential in order to show boldness as a unified front and demand freedom. Jefferson’s formal tone is successful in convincing the British. The U.S. national archives says that, “Using roughly the same system of diacritical notation he had employed in 1776 in his reading draft of the Declaration, Jefferson systematically analyzed the patterns of accentuation in a wide range of English writers…it displays Jefferson’s keen sense of the interplay between sound and sense in language. There can be little doubt that, like many accomplished writers, he consciously composed for the ear as well as for the eye–a trait that is nowhere better illustrated than in the eloquent cadences of the preamble in the Declaration of Independence” (Lucas par. 13). Jefferson’s writing style is fairly prevalent in this extraordinary document through his use of diction and affirmative statements. Some of these statements include, “we hold”, “he has refused”, and “we mutually pledge” amid many others used to assert the declarations made. The national archive closed its article on the Declaration of Independence’s literary style by claiming that “the Declaration is a work of consummate artistry. From its eloquent introduction to its aphoristic maxims of government, to its relentless accumulation of charges against George III, to its elegiac denunciation of the British people, to its heroic closing sentence, it sustains an almost perfect synthesis of style, form, and content. Its solemn and dignified tone, its graceful and unhurried cadence, its symmetry, energy, and confidence, its combination of logical structure and dramatic appeal, its adroit use of nuance and implication all contribute to its rhetorical power” (Lucas par. 32). All in all, the formal and assertive tone of the Declaration was beneficial in demanding independence from Great Britain.

In conclusion, both Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson had differing tones in their most renowned written works, but in the long run, had the same intentions to inspire and make a change in the dynamic of American government. They were firm supporters of seeking independence from Great Britain and the equal rights of all people under a democratic government, which both of them presented uniquely. Thomas Paine adopted an informal tone in Common Sense to convince his audience of his revolutionary ideas. Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson took on a formal and daring tone to declair his beliefs and hopes for the future once they became a free country, in the Declaration of Independence. Overall, both Jefferson and Paine paved the way to make sure that Americans get the “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” they always aspired for through their distinctive tones.

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

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

1. Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 6” January 22, 2020.
2. Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 2” January 22, 2020.
3. “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.
4. “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.
5. Paine, Thomas. Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. Signet Classics, 2003.

Bibliography

1. Paine, Thomas. Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. Signet Classics, 2003.
2. Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 2” January 22, 2020.
3. Shamo, Michael Lyle. “American Revolution, page 6” January 22, 2020.
4. “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.
5. “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.

The Declaration of Independence tells us that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This revolutionary piece of work in history that was mostly written by Thomas Jefferson, was introduced with this strong initial statement. It establishes the tone for the several rights and ideas stated in this work. Even though Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the profound ideas that influenced the staging of it was spotlighted in Paine’s pamphlet titled Common Sense. Both Paine and Jefferson were promoters for independence from Great Britain and the equal rights of everyone under a democratic government, however, their written works emanate their ideas in different tones. Thomas Paine embraced an informal tone in Common Sense to sway his audience, on the other hand, Thomas Jefferson took a formal tone to reveal his ideas in the Declaration of Independence. Paine’s use of an informal tone was advantageous in the fact that it was able to touch all types of citizens.

Paine produced an informal tone in Common Sense by using logos, pathos, and ethos. Paine drew to logos by fortifing his beliefs with immense evidence to substantiate the goodwill of America becoming independent. He was also able to appeal to logos by accentuating Britain’s snobbish behavior about America, in which he believed the Americans should veer away from in order to move forward as a single unified and independent country. Ethos was also applied by Paine to root for the United States in its struggle for independence over Great Britain and being that Paine was born and raised in Britain his persuasive words exhibited integrity since it was coming from an outsider looking in. Thomas Paine was notable for his deistic beliefs, however, despite all of this he still was able to connect his message using the Holy Bible as a point of reference being aware that it was highly valued by the Americans. “Paine announced that not only did there not exist a divine right of kings, but that the proof lay within the pages of the Bible itself, and that the King/Lords/ Commons balance of powers was nothing but a theatrical performance, helping subjects believe the myth of their system’s fairness and equity, when in fact it was corrupt and oligarchic. He explained how adults do not require any fatherly king (or mother country) to oversee them; they only need the rule of law” (Nelson, 239). This precise quote shows how he was able to identify with Americans by using their own religious values as evidence. Finally, by using Pathos, he said that the journey to freedom may bring feelings of fear, but it will all be worth it in the long run. Craig Nelson defended this claim when he said that “Thomas Paine spiritually transformed an unfocused and confusing civil war into an ennobling crusade of good confronting evil, following a course both difficult and frightening, but ending with a triumph that was inevitable” (239). Nelson is simply indicating that the rough journey in approaching independence is worth it. Each of these methods of persuasion used in Common Sense eventually made for an informal tone that anyone could understand.

Furthermore, Paine’s informal tone in Common Sense made his pamphlet approachable and intelligible to a varying audience in 1776 when it was published. Thomas Paine’s word choice was simplified making it simple enough for everyone to grasp. His informal tone and type of writing he followed set him apart from most other writers of his time and granted him to be able to have an astounding influence in America. According to the article “The Common Style of Common Sense” it is said that “To communicate with such an audience, he had to craft his arguments in simple words and sentences. As he himself put it “As it is my design to make those that can scarcely read and understand, I shall therefore avoid every literary ornament and put it in language as plain as the alphabet” (Sigelman 374). This shows how aware Thomas Paine was when making his pamphlets available for all educational levels. His plan was applauded by no one else but the amazing Thomas Jefferson himself, who once said, “No writer has exceeded Paine in ease and familiarity of style, in perspicuity of expression, happiness of elucidation, and in simple and unassuming language” (Sigelman 374). Even though Thomas Jefferson was encouraged by Thomas Paine’s informal writing style and inspirational message, his distinct style and tone took a completely different approach in the Declaration of Independence.

Contrarily, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence using a formal tone. The tone used in this important document that has made a mark in United States history may also have be viewed as confident and assertive. These means of writing used to relay the yearning to become an independent country are crucial in order to show courage as a unified front and demand freedom. Thomas Jefferson’s formal tone is successful in persuading the British. The United States. national archives says that, “Using roughly the same system of diacritical notation he had employed in 1776 in his reading draft of the Declaration, Jefferson systematically analyzed the patterns of accentuation in a wide range of English writers…it displays Jefferson’s keen sense of the interplay between sound and sense in language. There can be little doubt that, like many accomplished writers, he consciously composed for the ear as well as for the eye–a trait that is nowhere better illustrated than in the eloquent cadences of the preamble in the Declaration of Independence” (Lucas par. 13). Thomas Jefferson’s writing style is pretty pervasive in this extraordinary document by his use of terminology and affirmative statements. Some of these very statements include, “we hold”, “he has refused”, and “we mutually pledge” among numerous others used to assert the declarations made. The national archive closed its article on the Declaration of Independence’s literary style by declaring that “the Declaration is a work of consummate artistry. From its eloquent introduction to its aphoristic maxims of government, to its relentless accumulation of charges against George III, to its elegiac denunciation of the British people, to its heroic closing sentence, it sustains an almost perfect synthesis of style, form, and content. Its solemn and dignified tone, its graceful and unhurried cadence, its symmetry, energy, and confidence, its combination of logical structure and dramatic appeal, its adroit use of nuance and implication all contribute to its rhetorical power” (Lucas par. 32). All in all, the formal and assertive tone of the Declaration was beneficial in demanding independence from Great Britain.

Overall, both Paine and Jefferson had varying tones in their most acclaimed written works, but in the long run however, they had the same objectives which was to stimulate and make changes in the dynamic of the United States government. They were firm believers of pursuing independence from Great Britain and the equal rights of everyone under a democratic government, which both Paine and Jefferson introduced uniquely. Paine embraced an informal tone in Common Sense to persuade his listeners of his revolutionary ideas. Meanwhile, Jefferson took a formal and daring tone to communicate his beliefs and hopes for the future once they became a free country, in the Declaration of Independence. In the end, both Jefferson and Paine originated a way to make sure that the Americans get the “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” that they always dreamed for through their distinguishing tones.

1. Lucas, Stephen. “The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence.” The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/stylistic-artistry-of-the-declaration#page-header. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.
2. Nelson, Craig. “Thomas Paine and the Making of ‘Common Sense.’” New England Review (1990-), vol. 27, no. 3, 2006, pp. 228–250. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40244868. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.
3. Sigelman, Lee, et al. “The Common Style of ‘Common Sense.’” Computers and the Humanities, vol. 30, no. 5, 1996, pp. 373–379. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30204657. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

After looking at many Phillis Wheatley essay examples and doing extensive research, it’s clear that American culture has a big impact on the whole world nowadays. In the contemporary world, American culture is practically universal in its forms of expression. Given this information, it is important to remember how American literature played a part in the shaping of America’s cultural and historical process. From the writings of the first authors during colonial times, to the continuous changes that took place during that time, it’s possible to understand how the identity of American Literature was built through the centuries.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the values, feelings and dreams of the new American nation are reflected. The first features of American literature had clearly religious nuances, as well as narratives of the difficulties that these authors faced when they arrived at this new land and forming a new country. Therefore, in this material, we will analyze three of the most relevant writers during these periods, their ideologies and their main writings: Thomas Paine, Anne Bradford and Phillis Wheatley.

1. Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet was the first known poet in American literature. In 1628, Bradstreet immigrated to America and established in Massachusetts along with her husband Simon, and her parents (Poets.org). In her writings, Anne Bradstreet describes how life unfolded for the first pilgrims in the British colonies. She also wrote about culture, nature, religion, family, death and history (Cowell, 2008).

Bradstreet was initially shaken by being so far from the comforts of home; however, in 1632 she began to write poetry and in 1650, her first book of poetry, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America, was published in London. (ProQuest). The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America was also America’s first poetry book. In her book, Bradstreet writes about being unhappily aware that the society in which she lived criticized women who dared to undertake activities outside their domestic obligations.

In her latest poems, addressed to her family, Bradstreet shows spiritual growth. She also composed a series of poems of a more personal nature and considerable beauty: her thoughts before giving birth, her response to the death of some of her grandchildren and her love to her husband:

“To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that rivers cannot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.

Thy love is such I can no way repay;

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere,

That when we live no more, we may live ever.” (Elliot et al 124)

2. Thomas Paine.

Thomas Paine is the author of two of the most famous political writings in the history of the American democracy. He was one of the most conspicuous and influential slavery opponents.

In 1776, Pain wrote his pamphlet Common Sense. Paine’s 77-page pamphlet aimed to outline the reasons for rejecting British authority in the simplest, most straightforward terms, with self-evident arguments and a destiny written in the stars. “Common Sense” was the perfect title (Rohdri 7). The impact of the pamphlet was immediate: in 1776 it sold more than one hundred thousand copies and was translated into French (Paine et al.). Common Sense was a passionate attack against the British monarchy and all that it represented, he explained that the colonies derived no benefit from their bond with England.

Paine insisted that the people could govern themselves without nobility or elites. His proposal was a simple republicanism based on the democracy of the assemblies. All this was raised without euphemisms, in a direct, clear and popular writing style that could be read and understood by anyone. The result was that it became an instrument of popular independence mobilization among vast sectors of farmers and artisans. The impact of these pamphlets was not only among the ‘crowd’, but also among broad sectors of the elite. John Adams, who shared the independence ideology, expressed his fear of the effect that such a popular pamphlet can have on the people since a radicalism so democratic without controls or balances can generate many evils and confusion (Philp).

Thomas Paine’s legacy has been much deeper than we could deduce, he proposed the abolition of slavery almost a hundred years before Lincoln; he was one of the first English to propitiate the independence of India; He planned a retirement plan; and claimed the rights of women. Thomas Paine is relevant not only for his revolutionary internationalism and challenge to existing institutions, but for the modernity of his thinking, his rationalism and his faith in human nature; however, like all idealists, he made the mistake of underestimating the power of the ruling class.

3. Phillis Wheatley.

Phillis Wheatley was the third woman who published a book in the United States. Her work Poems on Various Subjects was published in 1773. Her work is considered one of the first examples of African American literature and was used by abolitionists to deny the artistic inferiority of Africans. For many years, her poems were more valued from the historical point of view than from the literary one. However, today her poetry is analyzed and studied in institutes and universities in much of the world (Turner-Sadler 39-40).

In her poetic work, admired by Voltaire and George Washington, religion and morality are fundamental themes; but also, the author dedicates some verses to her childhood in her homeland and to slavery. Her poem On Being Brought from Africa to America is one of the few that revolves around slavery. In it, the author makes use of self-representation and rhetorical irony to end the prejudices that existed about her race in that society:

“Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand

That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.

Some view our sable race with scornful eye,

‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’

Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,

May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train” (Elliot et al 422)

If we read the first four verses superficially, it seems that the author feels gratitude for having been introduced into American society and thus being able to embrace the only true faith: Christianity. In the first quartet Wheatley shows himself as an ignorant and naive person, as are the rest of the pagans of his homeland.

Far from underestimating the African population, she feels deeply sorry that they do not know Christianity. Thus, expressing this feeling and adopting a harmless tone, it manages to please the Western and Christian public.

In general, the political poetry of Phillis Wheatley has been ignored over time. However, her poem To His Excellency General Washington, dedicated to George Washington, has aroused some interest among literary critics due to the author’s skill in adapting neoclassical poetry to the context of the American Revolution. This poem was written in 1775 (Elliot et al 429-430)

In conclusion, American literature was initially influenced by European cultures that came to the new world to discover and conquer it. During the seventeenth century, the influences of several European countries in the new land did not allow the development of a native literary culture. However, during the eighteenth century, the values, feelings, and dreams of the new American nation are echoed. The first features of American literature had clearly religious nuances, reduced creativity and due to the conservative nature of society. The first features of American literature had distinctly religious nuances, a reduced creativity and due to the conservative nature of society they focused mostly on passages from the Bible, in simple life, the closed, strict and critical society of that time, in the Innocence and sin. With time, the approaches of literature began to unfold and started touching broader issues, starting with nature.

Works Cited

1. Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, poets.org/poet/anne-bradstreet.
2. Cowell, Pattie. ‘Anne Bradstreet (1612? – 1672).’ 2008. Georgetown University. 6 February 2008.
3. Anne Bradstreet. ProQuest, Ann Arbor, 2017. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/docview/1959814533?accountid=10008.
4. Levine, Robert S., et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. W.W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 124-422.
5. Marsden, Rhodri. ‘Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.’ The Independent, Jan 09, 2016, pp. 7. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/docview/1754663154?accountid=10008.
6. Paine, Thomas, et al. Thomas Paine Reader. Penguin Books, 1987.
7. Philp, Mark. “Thomas Paine.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 19 Sept. 2017, plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/paine/.
8. Turner-Sadler, Joanne. African American History: an Introduction. Peter Lang Publishing, 2020, pp. 39-40.

The American Revolution has given the United States some of it’s most famous and revered figures in our history. George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson are known to virtually every person in the country, maybe even the world, and their importance cannot be denied. However, perhaps the most important name of all is merely a footnote in American history. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense not only rationalized the idea of independence, it also became a catalyst for the entire Revolution. As a whole, Thomas Paine’s use of religion and rationality to prove that kings have no right to rule and dispel judgment would have had the greatest impact on the middle and working class of the colonial population.

A successful revolution is not run by the elites, or the upper class. Revolution runs through the common people. The people hurt the most by oppression, the people with nothing to lose but their lives, the people who truly believe in freedom and change. For a revolution to truly succeed, the common people have to believe in the end goal. In the events leading up to the Revolution, the people most affected by the abuse of power by the English Parliament was the average, everyday colonist. Common Sense spoke to the everyday man in a way that was articulate, understandable language, while also being both rational and foreboding. Shortly after its publishing, an anonymous reviewer stated in The Philadelphia Evening Post that, ““If you know the author of COMMON SENSE, tell him he has done wonders and worked miracles, made TORIES WHIGS, and washed Blackamoors white. He has made a great number of converts here. His style is plain and nervous; his facts are true; his reasoning just and conclusive… Can any virtuous and brave American hesitate one moment in the choice?”. It is evident that Common Sense not only captivated the common people, it forced people to finally confront the inevitability of a fight for independence. Thomas Paine addresses this inevitability, warning of the dangers of “putting off” this struggle for freedom. He states, “Until an independence is declared the continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity”. Through straightforward and convincing writing, Thomas Paine forces the common people to confront the fight for independence. [0: ]

One of Paine’s main appeals to the common people is his use of religion and God. America is an intensely Christian community, with an overwhelming majority of the population being devoted to their parish. Naturally, an appeal through the Bible would connect with the common man. Paine states, “As the exalting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on the equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority of scripture; for the will of the Almighty, as declared by Gideon and the prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings. All anti-monarchical parts of scripture have been very smoothly glossed over in monarchical governments, but they undoubtedly merit the attention of countries which have their governments yet to form”. The simple rationality that if the Bible disapproves of a monarchy, a devout man should also disapprove, would undoubtedly resonate with the American population. Furthermore, it shows the hypocrisy of the British government, as they mandate that their sovereign ruler is chosen by God. He goes on to say, “But where, says some, is the King of America? I’ll tell you. Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Britain”. By this simple appeal to God being their true ruler, it forces the reader to reconsider their commitment to England while also realizing independence might be God’s will. [1: ] [2: ]

Perhaps the most effective aspect of Common Sense is it’s rational yet total destruction of the idea of British rule. Paine, again through simplicity and reasoning, is able to lift the veil of tyranny off of the common people’s’ eyes, and teaches them the absurdity and irrationality “…in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.” Paine puts into words the irrationality behind thinking that a man brought up in the most elite of elite societies on the other side of the world could have even the slightest understanding of the common colonist. He goes on to say, “Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”. Paine is essentially reasoning that a stuffy snob lost in his own importance can not possibly have any benefit for the colonists, while also exposing how differently the king thinks compared to the common man. Paine is also leading the reader to come to their own conclusion that the only way that they can have their true interests represented, they have to establish their own free government of colonists, separated from the imperious, out of touch government of England. Paine continues ridicules the monarchy, for example makes of a folly out of the idea of hereditary rule. Paine essentially asks, with both humor and reason, why, if the ruler is divinely chosen, is he often a groveling idiot? “One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise, she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass for a lion”. This humanization and rationalization of such a ridiculous concept as hereditary rule allows the common person to question not only their own belief in such a system, but also their commitment to being a citizen of the British Empire. Thomas Paine’s appeal to the common man’s rationality not only diminishes the cause for reconciliation, but also promotes the need to separate from the tyranny of England. [3: ] [4: ] [5: ]

There is a reason Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was, and remains, one of the best-selling American titles ever produced. Common Sense was not just a novel, but a movement. Through its appeals to rationality and God, the idea of independence became more than a whimsical ideal, with no real belief it it becoming reality. Independence became something that was not only achievable, but necessary for the lives of every common man in America. The rationality and religious appeal by Thomas Paine created a movement in the common people that elitist debates and resolves never could, and through the power of the masses, was able to kickstart the movement for independence.