![]() ![]() He is credited with turning the tide of public opinion at a crucial juncture, convincing many Americans that war for independence was the only option to take, and they had to take it now, or else. Not a dumbed-down rant for the masses, as often described, Common Sense is a masterful piece of argument and rhetoric that proved the power of words. Thomas Paine was a firebrand, and his most influential essay Common Sense was a fevered no-holds-barred call for independence. It took a hard jolt to move Americans from professed loyalty to declared rebellion, and it came in large part from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. They weren’t fighting for self-defense, or protection of their property, or to force Britain to the negotiating table. ![]() ![]() Yet few dared voice what most knew was true - they were no longer fighting for their rights as British subjects. Their soldiers had captured Fort Ticonderoga, besieged Boston, fortified New York City, and invaded Canada. Author: Wason, Marianne (NHC Assistant Director of Education Programs, Online Resources, 1997–2014)īy January 1776, the American colonies were in open rebellion against Britain. ![]()
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