Common Sense Dbq

A country can not simply separate themselves from the other half of their nation. Sacrifice, dedication, and time are vital endeavors that must be undertaken in order to obtain independence. Determination was a must, especially in the case of the Colonists’ separation from Great Britain in the 1700s; the American Revolution was a battle fought with integrity and a lot of bloodshed. An inexperienced Continental Army challenged the greatest military force in the world, miraculously finding victory in the battlefield. The formation of groups such as the Sons of Liberty, organization of rebellions, and the creation of complexly brilliant documents, pro-revolutionaries were able to unite America, building an army of colonials willing to risk everything …show more content…
The document was a brilliant piece that advocated for freedom and independence from England. It provoked images in the common man’s mind of why it was a necessity to gain independence. He uses sharp and clear points to zero in on the flaws and cover-ups composed by the British monarchy. He makes the statement that, “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; ...our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer” (Paine 153). Paine is specifically voicing that that society is truly uncorrupt, and that every government is in some way shape or form fraudulent. However, government is a mandatory degeneracy, and without it, it would be impossible for society to exist. A government may have the power to inflict damage upon its people, but awareness that they themselves have put these officials in the position to do so is moreso evil than the acts committed themselves. Thomas Paine pinpointed and put into words what the pro-revolutionaries had not been able to previously express. The document was an instant success, as over one hundred thousand copies were sold in the first few months after publication. Using persuasive terms, Paine states that, “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world” (Paine 36). …show more content…
They started to pass acts, such as the Stamp Act, Quartering Acts, and Sugar Act, which placed taxes upon goods purchased from England. The colonists began to object to the taxes, and responded with protests that had a lasting impact, and caused the colonists to gain confidence that would eventually lead to them declaring war. The Stamp Act was a huge turning point in the events leading up to the American Revolution, and also influenced future protest against British attempts to acquire revenues from the colonies. They made efforts to stop importation from Britain, in hopes of a form of boycott. The initial fear that provoked the colonists was that this would not be the first tax they would soon be paying. The tax was designed to collect revenue from the colonists to pay for the troops stationed on the American frontier. Even though it taxed the colonists and angered them, the tax was justified and there was good reason behind its implementation. The money that was collected from the colonists did not cover all of the money needed to station the troops. This lead to skepticism among the citizens living in the colonies, for the reasons behind imposing the tax did not add up. “The taxes asked of the American colonists were lower than those asked of mainland English citizens. The revenue raised from taxing the colonies was used to