500 Word Essay: Most Ilogical Argument of Paine's Common Sense

Paine's Common Sense pamphlet is a document composed almost entirely of rhetoric, rather than logic and reason. He states information as if it were facts, when he really has no evidence to back up his claims.  His arguments have no firm foundation or basis whatsoever to support them.

For one thing, he had little right to be writing this thesis on independence and revolution in America. He was an immigrant from Great Britain, newly arrived only two years prior to the publication of"Common Sense". 

Whilst in Norfolk, England, he was a complete failure as a tax-collector, businessman, and husband. Upon arriving in 1775. he worked as a journalist. Paine hadn't even been present for the Stamp Act crisis and other such events in the colonies.

So it was rather foolish of him to think he was qualified to lecture and advice on these matters. Regardless, his document became quickly popular and was widely distributed throughout New England. 

In the first 3 months, it generated 100,000 copies! There was hardly a single American, who hadn't either read it or had it dictated to them. Common Sense was the single most important document in U.S. History, even more so than the Bible. Thomas Paine's name didn't become known as first, because he claimed neutrality. In the cover of it, he refers to himself as simply"an Englishman".

Soon however he was renown and famous by all loyal Americans. The bell tolled for rebellion and insurrection and they responded. It can't be overemphasized the impact Paine had on the American Revolution. He played a hugely crucial rule in the American's view of their mother country and of the king.

His influence was unparalleled, and can't be compared with any other political activist in this time period. He rallied the Patriots together, with the overpowering emotion and power of his words. Paine had the keen ability of convincing people of the legitimacy of the cause. Excusing the Quaker's pacifist arguments, he insisted the only alternative was a civil war. Bloodshed was inevitable, and history had always depended on.

Calm and peaceable answers to America's issues with their mother country wouldn't be effective. There would have to be a battle between the two countries in order to decide their differences. Thomas stated that the very idea of an island ruling over a continent was ludicrous in of itself. He also believed it stupid to call England America" mother", the way that it treated it's so-called"child"

A mother was supposed to nurture and love for her children, not unfairly tax them and treat them disrespectfully. He argued that the true mother was Europe, as a good portion of New England's residents came from here. Paine asserted that less than a 1/3 of the continent's inhabitants were original Brits. This was one of the disputes that had poor,weak verification to it. 

In actuality, a very good portion of the immigrants were from England, which made many of them loyal towards the country. Paine's claims had no facts to back them at all, and were extremely unwise and illogical. Another one of his rationalizations was that a decent number of people agreed separation was unavoidable. 

This is almost laughable, in it's ridiculousness. Paine had only resided in the colonies for less than 2 years. There was no justifiable reason to assume he'd talked to enough locals to say this. He doesn't list any specific names of people, or show that he did a study of any type. His readers are just supposed to blindly believe everything, and not question the validity of his premises.