Paine counters this by pointing out that America’s only enemies are Britain’s enemies and that if they achieved independence they would ‘be at peace with France and Spain”. One of the main claims loyalists make is that America would not be able to defend itself without Great Britain. As this was a fairly radical idea at the time, he has to heavily support this claim with evidence. He also has to convince people that even though reconciliation is not possible hope is not lost and there is another option: independence. As Paine’s main claim is twofold, this is not the only claim he backs with evidence. Firstly, he claims that ‘Men of all ranks have embarked in the controversy, from different motives, and with various designs but all have been ineffectual, and the period of debate is closed.” In more modern terms, Paine is showing the American people that if reconciliation were possible, it would already have been achieved. He backs this statement up with logic in several different instances. While he recognizes that this was once a legitimate argument, he claims that reconciliation ‘like an agreeable dream, hath passed us and left us as we were”(p. One of the main ideas that Paine was arguing against in Common Sense was that reconciliation between America and England was still possible.

This pamphlet was so popular it is often considered to be the beginning of the revolutionary movement.ĭon't use plagiarized sources.

When you combine all of these factors, it is easy to see why this pamphlet was such a widespread success. He paints England as an abusive parent who does not want their child to succeed. One of the ways he shows emotion is by playing to the people’s sensitivity to the parent-child relationship. Finally, Paine understands that emotion is one of the most important pieces of an argument. He cites many things that play to the logical side of his argument, such as the King’s unfair taxation. Along with relying on his credibility as an author, he makes a very strong logical side. Paine’s credibility comes largely from his immigration status. He supported this theory very well, using his credibility, logic, and emotion. His main argument was that the solution to the tension between America and Great Britain was independence and that this could not be achieved by peace. In his pamphlet, Paine sought to make this idea turn into reality. While this idea was being considered by many, it was not widespread enough to become a possibility. Because of this tension, many Americans were arguing that America needed to separate from their parent country. This was a time when there was tremendous tension between America and Great Britain. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, was released in early 1774 America.

Thomas paine and common sense