The Influence Of Thomas Paine's Common Sense

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During the mid-to-late eighteenth century, the British colonies of North America had an insufficient amount of power over their own legislature. After the French and Indian War, England was left with an extensive amount of debt, which led to the abundance of taxes placed on goods sent to the colonies. Although these taxes demanded major amounts of money, colonial leaders, such as Thomas Jefferson, believed that the true issue was their lack of representation in Parliament, which they saw as a denial of their rights as British subjects. Along with these taxes, England imposed several acts that restricted the colonies’ trade with foreign countries as a way of reinforcing British power and beliefs. In order to resist England’s attempts for control, …show more content…
In 1776, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published, leaving its mark as one of the most influential pamphlets written. Paine stated the idea that it was “common sense” to break away from the mother country and to fight for their independence. However, Paine’s work did not only call for the independence of the colonies, but also the establishment of a new form of government, a republic (Kennedy 139). He believed in the creation of a government where the people had not the power, not just representatives. Common Sense brought forth the idea of ending British tradition in the colonies, which was a conflict due to the people who still supported the British government, the Loyalists. Over time, Paine’s ideas of a republican government began to grow, leading to the Republican and Democratic political parties of the twenty-first …show more content…
As the British Parliament set more laws upon the colonists, the fight for independence grew. Inspired by philosophical leaders, whose words still inspire the way the United States is run, colonists were motivated to fight and declare their independence from Great Britain, while still maintaining friendly ties. The political and social reasons behind many events, such as the American Revolution and World War II, outweigh the economic causes due to an attempt in gaining power over another country. Both Great Britain and Germany wanted to gain control of neighboring countries and their allies. The British wanted more control over the colonies and took over French land in North America while the Germans took control of Austria-Hungary during WWI and eventually other neighboring countries like Poland. Both the British and the Germans attempted to establish their beliefs upon the people, such as religion and racial discrimination. Throughout major wars, there appears to be a pattern in which a country declares war, or invades another all for political, social, and economic gain. However, the political and social aspects are the ones that affect the people the most, leading them to fight for their rights as the original residents, and
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