Culture Spot: On This Day . . . January 10

On this day in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine anonymously printed his incendiary pamphlet, Common Sense. This publication, using a sermon-like approach with Biblical references so that common people could understand, presented to Americans the argument for independence from British rule. At the time, the question of independence was not yet a popular idea but his pamphlet went a long way in convincing the colonists the need to be free from the crown. It was printed anonymously, of course, because the content would have been considered treasonous. One-hundred and twenty thousand copies were sold in the first three-months alone and 500,000 were sold during the first year going through twenty five different editions! Mr.Paine used the royalties to give the Washington’s Continental Army.

Here is a list (taken directly from Wikipedia) of Thomas Paine’s arguments why American should be independent of the British crown:

• It was ridiculous for an island to rule a continent.

• America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe.

• Even if Britain was the "mother country" of America, that made her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.

• Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, and keep it from the international commerce at which America excelled.

• The distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response.

• The New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation. The 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 did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing them.

VOCABULARY pamphlet - un tract royalties - les droits d'auteur horrendous - épouvantable, dramatique to harm - faire du mal à quelqu'un to drag - traîner unwieldy - peu maniable haven - un refuge

Read Common Sense, 40-page pdf document.

Listen to Common Sense by Thomas Paine from American Phonic.

The Thomas Paine Society