240 likes | 404 Views
10/6/13. Agenda: Notes/Read/debrief “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine Wrap up American Revolution HW: Watch Kahn video (linked on website) about the American Revolution, complete Film Analysis Guide, Quiz next class on Amer. Revolution. What you need today: Document packet Spirals
E N D
10/6/13 Agenda: • Notes/Read/debrief “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine • Wrap up American Revolution • HW: Watch Kahn video (linked on website) about the American Revolution, complete Film Analysis Guide, Quiz next class on Amer. Revolution What you need today: • Document packet • Spirals • Writing Utensil
COMMON SENSEThomas Paine January 10, 1776 Rallying, Influencing, Motivating.
Thomas Paine • Born in Britain, January 29 1737 • Self taught • Immigrated to America 1774 • Involved in American political life
“The bearer Mr Thomas Pain[e] is very well recommended to me as an ingenious worthy young man.” -Benjamin Franklin.
“I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense,” Argued strongly for COMPLETE American Independence, Not just freedom from British Taxation
Revolutionary war Pamphlet • English, 48 pages • First Published anonymously January 10, 1776 • Printed & sold by R. Bell, Third street Philadelphia • Sold 500,000 copies in first year & 25 editions • Precursor to the Declaration of Independence, which was written six months later.
‘How did Common Sensesucceed in inspiring so much revolutionary feeling?’
In small groups: • Share your response to question with each other:How did Common Sense succeed in inspiring so much revolutionary feeling? • Create list of “inspirational phrases” from text that highlight the main ideas • As a group, decide why Common Sense would have been vital for Washington’s success in leading the Revolution.
Used forceful everyday language, influencing both Blue & white collar workers.to attack the idea that the British King should rule the American Colonies • American independence would be a victory for humans everywhere • Words convinced many Americans' that the cause of independence was a just one. • Played a central role in rallying public opinion, Convinced many who were unsure of the purpose of the war
‘The sun never shined on a greater cause of worth, tis not the concern of a day, a year or an age. Prosperity will be affected, even to the end of time’ – T. Paine.
“There is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island,” • “We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat.” - T. Paine
Chapter I. ‘Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution.’ • Introduces idea that there is a difference between Government and Society. • “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…”- T. Paine
Chapter 2 - ‘Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession’ • Paine argues that all men are born equal and there should be no distinction between kings and subjects. • ‘In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; […]A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived. -Thomas Paine
Chapter 3 - ‘Thoughts on the present State of American Affairs.’ • Examines hostilities between American Colonies and Britain. • Argues for independence. • Continental Charter "should come from some intermediate body between the Congress and the people… [we must ensure] freedom and property to all men, and… the free exercise of religion.”
Constitution of the United States as proposed by Thomas Paine in Common Sense
Chapter 4 – ‘On the Present Ability of America, with some Miscellaneous Reflections.’, • Paine's optimistic view of America's military potential. • “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel th force of all the world” • T. Paine
Paine’s PAIN. • It was absurd for an island to rule a continent. • America was not a British nation • Britain the "mother country" should take better care of it’s ‘child’, the colonies. • Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, • The distance • Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule. • Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and would not let the colonies have a say
Common Sense Succeeds? • ‘The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security’ • ‘It is not a field or a few acres of ground, but a cause that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle or by degrees, the consequences will be the same.’ • ‘It is the direction and not the magnitude which is to be taken into consideration’ • ‘Lead, follow, or get out of the way’ • ‘Until an independence is declared the continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business […] continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity.’
Crucial in turning American opinion against Britain and was one of the key factors in the colonies' decision to engage in a battle for complete independence • Continental congress in 1774 not all convinced that complete independence was desirable. • "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.” – Adams, John.
Success again • December, 1776, New Jersey • ‘[to] reap the blessings of freedom, [we] must undergo the fatigue to support it’ • “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”T. Paine
Conclusion • Thomas Paine created written revolution • Common Sense forever renowned as instruction, motivational, and revolutionary • He INDEED created feeling of revolution. • ‘To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather been loaded with taxes than not.’-T. Paine
Bibliography - Textual • Paine, Thomas, 2004, Common Sense, Penguin Books, Suffolk, England. - Primary Source • Paine, Thomas, Rights of Man, 2006, Allen & Unwin, Sydney Australia-Primary Source • Nelson, Craig, Thomas Paine; His Life, His Time and the Birth of Modern Nations, Profile books, 2006, London England
Bibliography - Web • SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Common Sense.” SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. (accessed March 22, 2011). <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/commonsense/ > • Lepore, Jill, 2006, ‘Was Thomas Paine too much of a freethinker for the country he helped free?’ (accessed March 22, 2011). http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/16/061016crbo_books • IMAGES • Many artists, 2009, ‘Oil Painting Reproduction of Thomas Paine’. (accessed 4/4/11) <http://www.oilpaintingsonlineshop.com/page-c-48_79.html?cPath=48_79&perpage=48&sort=2a&page=36> • tcmsmontulli1-2a, 2007, ‘Commonsensepamphletcpoy[1]’(accessed 4/4/11) http://tcmsmontulli1-2a.wikispaces.com/Commen+Sense • Gauthier-Pilote, Mathieu, 2007, ‘Diagram representing the constitution of the United States as proposed by Thomas Paine in Common Sense’ (accessed 4/4/11) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution-usa-thomas-paine.png>
Bibliography - Videos • Wiley Studios, 2010, ‘The Wisdom of Thomas Paine’ (Accessed: 3/4/11) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBTrfy8HuEQ&feature=fvwrel • How Stuff Works, 1998, ‘Assignment Discovery: Thomas Paine.’ (Accessed: 3/4/11) http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29500-assignment-discovery-thomas-paine-video.htm • Goldenage, 2008, ‘The American Revolution: Common Sense’ (Accessed: 3/4/11) http://www.videopediaworld.com/video/25337/The-American-Revolution-Common-Sense • Jwhitlockhale, 2009, ‘Thomas Paine's Common Sense’,(Accessed: 11/4/11) <http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Thomas_Paine_s_Common_Sense&video_id=100953>