Warm up: On the blank lines on your notes
page provide an answer to:
What is “common sense?”
Give one example of what you
believe “common sense” is.
 Thomas
Paine notes
Thomas Paine
 Political
Journalist
 Came
to America in
1774 on Ben
Franklin’s advice
 Wrote
Sense
Common
 Became
seller
a best
Common Sense
 He
wrote it because
he wanted people to
start thinking about
way Britain
the ____________
treated the colonies
_______________
and about
independence
______________
February 1776
 This
is when the colonists begin
just their rights
wanting more than “_____________,”
and wanting ________________
by
complete control
getting “_____________”
from the
independence
King and England.
 Reading
the book, encouraged and
convinced many colonists to be
Patriots
___________,
including even
George Washington
________________
Democracy

Democracy “rule by the
____________:
People”, no king necessary!!
Popular Sovereignty

Many Americans considered it our
duty to spread democracy.
_______

Thomas Paine said, “We have it in our
begin the world again
power to “________________.”
A. "I have heard it asserted by some, that
as America hath flourished (did well—
prospered) under her former connection
with Great Britain ,the same connection
is necessary -- towards her (America’s)
future happiness, and will always have the
same effect. Nothing can be more
fallacious (untrue) than this kind of
argument“
(only loyalist would think that we did well
under Britain’s rules.)
B. “We have boasted the protection
of Great Britain without
considering that her Motive was
interest (mercantilism), not
attachment (to us as brethren);
and that she did not protect us
from our enemies (France) on our
account, but from her enemies on
her own account.."
(England was selfish, did things that
benefited it, and not the colonials)
C. "But Britain is the parent country,
say some. Then the more shame
upon her conduct. Even brutes do
not devour their young, nor
savages make war upon their
families...“
D. "I challenge the warmest advocate
for reconciliation (to get along
with Britain), to show a single
advantage that this continent
(America) can reap, by being
connected with (staying a part of)
Great Britain. I repeat the
challenge; not a single advantage is
derived.“ (gotten)
(there is no benefit to
staying with Britain)
E. "Small islands, not capable of
protecting themselves, are the
proper objects for kingdoms to
take under their care; but there is
something absurd, in supposing a
continent to be perpetually
governed by an island (England).
In no instance hath nature made
the satellite (like the Moon) larger
than its primary planet (like the
Earth)"
F. "Nothing but independence. . . can
keep the peace of the continent. . .
.A government of our own is our
natural right: and when a man
seriously reflects (thinks) on the
precariousness of human affairs,
he will become convinced, that it is
infinitely wiser and safer, to form
a constitution of our own in a cool
deliberate - manner, while we have
it in our power. . :‘
 But
there is another and greater distinction
for which no truly natural or religious reason
can be assigned, and that is, the distinction
of men into kings and subjects. Male and
female are the distinctions of nature, good
and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a
race of men came into the world so exalted
above the rest, and distinguished like some
new species, is worth enquiring into, and
whether they are the means of happiness or
of misery to mankind.
(Kings are men, and not gods…heaven did not
put them there. Are they good for the
people, or themselves?)
 Though
I would carefully avoid giving
unnecessary offence, yet I am inclined
to believe, that all those who espouse
the doctrine of reconciliation (getting
along with the king), may be included
within the following descriptions:
Interested men, who are not to be
trusted; weak men who cannot see;
prejudiced men who will not see;