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Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense." Motivating people to question the English Monarchy's right to rule, Paine had a major influence in causing the Revolutionary War.
845 Questions
What influence did thomas Paine have on the writing of the constitution?
Thomas Paine significantly influenced the ideological foundation of the American Revolution and the writing of the Constitution through his persuasive writings, particularly "Common Sense." His arguments for independence and republicanism helped galvanize public support for breaking away from British rule and emphasized the importance of individual rights and self-governance. While he did not directly participate in the Constitutional Convention, his ideas on liberty, democracy, and the social contract shaped the political discourse of the time, ultimately informing the principles embedded in the Constitution. Paine's call for a government that serves the people resonated with the framers as they sought to create a more just and equitable system.
Why should Thomas Paine be remembered?
Thomas Paine should be remembered for his influential role in shaping revolutionary thought during the American and French revolutions. His pamphlets, particularly "Common Sense," galvanized support for American independence by articulating the case for self-governance and individual rights. Paine's advocacy for democracy, equality, and social justice laid foundational ideas that continue to resonate in modern discussions about liberty and governance. His passionate writings inspired countless individuals to challenge oppressive systems and seek freedom.
What type of literature is common sense?
There are multiple genres that Thomas Paine's Common Sense could be classified with. A general genre you could certainly classify it as is "non-fiction," but that's a bit too vague. The sub-genres where Paine's work could go are social sciences, classics, politics, philosophy, and American history (or history in general for that matter).
Let me provide the rationale for each classification.
non-fiction: This is a true work of literature. Let's be clear about that.
social science: more specific than non-fiction, but politics, philosophy (which could also be regarded as a humanity), and American history
classic: the book is a classic. It truly changed the course of history To this day, numerous people rely on the book for wisdom. For example, whatever you may think about Mitt Romney (the former Massachusetts governor and front runner for the Republican nomination for its party's presidential candidate) quoted from it in his victory speech following his victory in Florida in 2012. Furthermore, many book publishers publish it in their classics division. For example, Penguin publishes it under "Penguin Classics."
philosophy: the book describes Paine's philosophy. It is a type of popular philosophy, written in language that the common man could understand unlike some other writers from the time period (Locke, Rousseau, Montesqieu). You could understand the pamphlet as presenting a particular philosophy on politics because it describes how governments origin, how the should be designed, reflecting Paine's thoughts on monarchy, the state of American affairs in the mid 1770s, while describing an optimistic view of America's abilities to fight a revolution against what was then the most powerful army in the world.
politics / political science: Common Senseinfluenced a political transformation that took place in what became the United States, namely the American Revolution. The reasons for this classification are very similar to the one on philosophy.
history: It is a work within a particular context. More specifically, Paine has provided us with a primary source from the American Revolution (1775-81).
Depending on how diverse your book collection is, Common Sense could be classified in various ways. Suppose you are a historian or a history student, or a history lover. You might have hundreds of history books. You might want to arrange Paine alongside your American history books, or your books on the American Revolution. Perhaps if you were a philosopher, you might classify Paine differently, alongside your American philosophers (as opposed to your Germans, your Britishers, your Frenchmen, et cetera). Or you might want to classify Paine alongside Enlightenment thinkers, as opposed to ancients, existentialists, and your post-modernists. These are all hypotheticals; classification is more of a subjective thing than an objective one.
If you were looking in the library for this book, your best bet would be to find it in your history section. The Dewey decimal code would probably be around 973, in the general history of the United States.
Other suggestions
American Studies: It is a work that represents the culture and history of the United States. It is one of those quintessentially American books.
I hope this answers your question.
- A.S. Zaman
Why did Thomas Paine Write The Rights Of Man?
Paine wrote "The Rights of Man" as a response to "Reflections of the French Revolution" by Sir Edmund Burke. Burke (cited by many authors as an inspiration for modern conservatism) had attempted to make the case that some classes of people, due to their economic standing, were too "lowly" to be allowed to participate in governing themselves. He believed that it would do "great violence" if someone like a barber or shoe-maker were allowed to vote. Paine replied to his arguments with what was then considered a very liberal, even radical, idea. In "The Rights of Man" he made the argument that one is not unfit to make important decisions simply because of the social class they were born into.
Who is the brute and savage thomas Paine was refering to in common sense?
Common Sense was a pamphlet, not an article.
He is referring to the king of England
Who was the author of the pamphlet common sense and what was its purpose?
The author of the pamphlet common sense was Thomas Paine. The purpose was to tell the American colonist to rebel against the British monarchy and proclaim their independence.
What are some aphorisms in thomas paine's the crisis No 1?
"These are the times that try men's souls."
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly"
"the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph"
Those are a few I'm sure about. Some that I'm less sure about are:
"If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference"
"better have too much force that too little, when so great an object is at stake"
What does The crisis No1 by Thomas Paine mean?
Thomas Paine tries to persuade Americans to fight and completely separate from Great Britain.
Is Thomas Jefferson a patriot or a loyalist?
Thomas Jefferson was a patriot, which meant that he supported the Revolution against the British.
patriot:against the British
loyalist: with the British
neutalist: someone who agreed with a different side depending on the argument
That information is not given in his biography. My impression is he was a short man. Most people were in his time.
How does Thomas Paine relate to the Revolutionary War?
Thomas Paine is the author of the highly influential pamphlet "Common Sense" which presented the idea of independence to the colonies. His efforts were so influential, that he is sometimes considered to be a forgotten "Founding Father."
It is telling the colonists to try to stop being ordered around by the king and that they should fight for their independence.
It tells the colonists to break the bands with England and to become an independent nation.
The pamphlet "Common Sense" written by Thomas Paine was the idea that the colonists should break free from England and become an independent nation.
Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.
Basically Thomas wrote it to try to convince other Americans that the ties with Brittan should be cut and America should become independent.
What would have happened if thomas Paine didnt exist?
I don't think it would have resulted in anything major or changed history. Others would have done what he did.
