Common Sense
Common Sense by Thomas Paine written in 1776 was America’s first bestselling work of literature. Common Sense was a short 47- page pamphlet that expressed the need for American independence and a republican government. The pamphlet was an extremely sought after publication: “up to 150,000 copies circulated in its first year, and it underwent numerous reprintings.” Attributing to this pamphlets popularity was accessibility; a reading so small facilitated mass circulation . For example, W.E Woodward details the popularity of Common Sense:
The reprinting presses ran night and day to fill the demand for the thin pamphlet. Men read it in the streets, standing still on the narrow sidewalks, rapt in attention, while people passed to …show more content…
There were many key aspects of the pamphlet that attributed to it sparking the American Revolution. Primarily, Paine utilized simple wording and sources of common knowledge to convince colonists of his argument. For example, Paine consistently uses the phrase “common sense” to express how the reasons for America’s independence are simple and …show more content…
According to legend, when Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abraham Lincoln first met he referred to her as “the little lady who started the big war” Uncle Tom’s Cabin greatly affected American society in a number of ways that attributed to it sparking the Civil War. Primarily, the novel written ten years prior to the war itself provided insight and evidence to the debate of slavery which had grown ever more prominent post Compromise of 1850. Secondly, similar to Common Sense, Stowe utilized simple wording and a “conversational” writing style allowing the novel 's message to be easily understood and spread. Finally, the stir created by Uncle Tom’s Cabin can be attributed to Stowe’s use of easily recognizable texts, most significantly, the Bible. Stowe’s critique of slavery as inhumane and even unchristian shook the American population to their core. The implementation of these cherished ideals to critique slavery struck most Americans with horror thus furthering the debate on
Common Sense by Thomas Paine written in 1776 was America’s first bestselling work of literature. Common Sense was a short 47- page pamphlet that expressed the need for American independence and a republican government. The pamphlet was an extremely sought after publication: “up to 150,000 copies circulated in its first year, and it underwent numerous reprintings.” Attributing to this pamphlets popularity was accessibility; a reading so small facilitated mass circulation . For example, W.E Woodward details the popularity of Common Sense:
The reprinting presses ran night and day to fill the demand for the thin pamphlet. Men read it in the streets, standing still on the narrow sidewalks, rapt in attention, while people passed to …show more content…
There were many key aspects of the pamphlet that attributed to it sparking the American Revolution. Primarily, Paine utilized simple wording and sources of common knowledge to convince colonists of his argument. For example, Paine consistently uses the phrase “common sense” to express how the reasons for America’s independence are simple and …show more content…
According to legend, when Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abraham Lincoln first met he referred to her as “the little lady who started the big war” Uncle Tom’s Cabin greatly affected American society in a number of ways that attributed to it sparking the Civil War. Primarily, the novel written ten years prior to the war itself provided insight and evidence to the debate of slavery which had grown ever more prominent post Compromise of 1850. Secondly, similar to Common Sense, Stowe utilized simple wording and a “conversational” writing style allowing the novel 's message to be easily understood and spread. Finally, the stir created by Uncle Tom’s Cabin can be attributed to Stowe’s use of easily recognizable texts, most significantly, the Bible. Stowe’s critique of slavery as inhumane and even unchristian shook the American population to their core. The implementation of these cherished ideals to critique slavery struck most Americans with horror thus furthering the debate on