Thomas Paine's most essential role in American Revolution - Essay Example

Thomas Paine's most essential role in American Revolution Thomas Paine is believed to be one of the founding fathers of modern America. He has contributed heavily to the Americans in many ways like as a freedom fighter, an author, intellectual, revolutionary etc. He succeeded in injecting patriotism in the bloods of the Americans which finally helped America in fighting against the British rule and in getting freedom. He has been labeled as a corset maker (a specialist in tailoring corsets) by trade and a journalist by profession.

But above all he was a propagandist who succeeded in forcing the Americans thinking in terms achieving freedom from the British colonial rule. In fact the most important role, Thomas Paine played in American Revolution was the injection of patriotism and nationalism in the veins of Americans though his writings. Common Sense, a 79-page pamphlet written by Paine in 1776 is believed to be one of the main motivators of American Revolution. “Although Common Sense is a clarion call to Americans to defend their patrimony, it is one which rests its appeal on reason, nature and sentiment” (Paine, p.x). This paper briefly analyses Thomas Paine’s most essential role in America Revolution.

“In January 1776, Paine published his Common Sense, the most powerful and widely read of the early demands for American independence from Britain” (Paine, p.viii). The most essential role played by Thomas Paine in American Revolution is his contributions in educating the American people about their rights and the need for achieving freedom from the British colonial rule. Common Sense succeeded in making the people aware of the necessities of freedom. In the first year of publication itself, more than 150000 copies of Common Sense were sold in America which clearly shows the influence this pamphlet made on American public.

In this pamphlet Common Sense, Paine divided people’s rights in to two broad categories; natural rights and civil rights. Civil rights are the rights which preserve the interest of the person whereas the natural rights are the rights which preserve the interest of the society. Rights of thinking, speaking, forming and giving opinions etc are civil rights personal protection, acquiring and possessing property etc are natural rights (Paine, p. 81-82). Paine argued that the Americans are deprived of both the civil rights and the natural rights under the British rule.

Americans forced to follow the British way of thinking and speaking and thereby they destroyed their indigenous culture and values under the colonial rule. British colonial rulers neither allowed the Americans to possess any property, nor allowed them to express their views freely. Paine educated Americans that they are currently leading a slave’s life under British regime and they have every right to live like the British. In the book, Common Sense, Paine questioned the credentials of British monarchy and English parliament in ruling America.

Paine did argue that monarchy was a corrupt and worthless institution. He has ridiculed the idea of segregating people in different layers with respect to power or wealth. He educated the public that the British monarch has been looting the wealth of America and gaining more power. The natural right of Americans in possessing wealth and property in America were denied by the monarch. He has questioned the right of the British monarch in ruling Americans. He argued that only the Americans would be able to rule America successfully.

Moreover, he educated the public about the necessities of a democratic administration in which the ordinary people get the power to select their administration. Paine’s arguments later Abraham Lincoln the necessary motivation and encouragement for defining democracy. Event though, Paine’s major contributions to American Revolution were through his pen or writings, he joined the Washington’s Army to actively participate in the freedom struggle. In other words, Paine never tried to stay away from the freedom fight in order to safeguard his interests.

Moreover, whatever the money he earned from his writings were spent completely for the freedom struggle. Paine did succeed in communicating his ideas to successfully, both to the ordinary people and to the intellectuals. In other words, his arguments were logical and acceptable to all the people in America. To conclude, Thomas Paine’s most essential role in American revolutions was to educate the people about their civil rights and natural rights through his writings and to prepare them for the struggle against the British colonial rule.

Common Sense, a 79-page pamphlet written by Paine in 1776, did succeed in motivating the Americas for the freedom struggle. Works Cited 1. Paine, Thomas. “Rights of Man, Common Sense and Other Political writings”. 1998. Oxford University Press, 1998