Paines Pamphlet and the

Responsibility for Being

Politically Active

Cesar Reyes
PSC 1020 Political Systems and Ideas

Make the argument that historically weve evolved pass the ideas of monarchy.
The ideal form of government is a democratic republic where the people have equal say in who
is head of the country. Paine is one of the few actors throughout history who spoke out against
tyranny and did their civic and political duty. This essay will explain how actively participating
in politics is a necessity
The American Constitution is responsible for establishing the many different freedoms,
American citizens enjoy every single day. These freedoms are written by our forefathers to
establish a fair political system for people to participate. This system basic foundation lies with
the first amendment of the Constitution, and the creation of modern political life was establish
by the actions of those who choose to speak out and set a precedent in the social aspect of
political life. By taking advantage of voting, and the basic freedoms of speech, protest, and of
the press there can be an active contribution of the evolution of Politics. Written on the verge of
the Revolutionary war, Thomas Painea Common Sense pamphlet encouraged many citizens
of then British ruled colonies to raise arms, and fight against the tyranny of the British crown.
By examining how Thomas Paines Common Sense impacted America then, and continues to
reflect in modern global politics.
Common Sense was written within the year and year prior to the ratification of the
Declaration of Independence (Cite) Helped push Main arguments included that idea of mocking
how a geographically, how ridicouls it is to conseder Great Britain being able to govern a
contient, both from the distance point of view, and politically. Second of all he established a
metahphor for the relationship between the Crown, and Great Britian as a Mother and child
relationship. And those who saw it in these terms needed to see that it is benifited one side and
Britian took advantage of the Colonies and if the same was done between a mother and child

then people would not support that relationship as it would be seen as cruel. By this time
citizens of the colonies were migrating from various euorpean countries, not solely Great Britain.
So Paine brings up the legitimacy of governing people from various nations would not be
representive well from a particular nation. Not only that but Paine outlined how the Crown
taxed, and imposed rules for their own benefit.
Impact? The impact was successful in that the pamphlet went on to sell between 150,000
and 250,000 copies by the end of the year 1776( Page 245 Making), and this was a time where
the population of America was at three million. The significance within this feat was that it
spread throughout the colonies like wild fire, and somehow forced others to speak, and write
about the independence. Because it was so widely read that it help eliminate the stigma of
speaking ill of the Crown. It is hard to attribute how much the pamphlet was to the
Independence of the United States. But it deficiently helped Revolutionary in its own right, in
the sense that it was one of the most open form of communicating the idea of independence.
Many did not even talk about revolution, or independence because such action would be
considered treason to speak against the crown. In short we can attribute Paines inreluctance to
speak his mind as performing his political duty. By actively participating and using every means
of his ability to speak his mind even before the ratifications of the bill of rights is revolutionary.
Benjerman Rush, acting as Paines agent at the time described the difficultely in printing the
phamplet as he went from one printer to another trying to publish it. Rush stated attachment to
Britain was obsitanate, and it was at that time a kind of treason to speak against it. (Page 16
Making).
There is both historical and modern significance in the publication of Common Sense.
From the revolution of the United States, to India, and others from british rule there was a

tendency for history to repeat itself in various parts of the world, and continues to happen today.
As Thomas Paine States in the opening paragraph, Society in every state is a blessing, but
government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.