Thomas Paine Common Sense And The Declaration Of Independence Analysis

Through several “repeated injuries and usurpations,” relations between colonial America and Imperial Britain in were at an unprecedented low, making an uprising among the discontent American public increasingly unavoidable. This coming revolution was substantial in that it was not merely a rebellion against a powerful government, but a total attack against the old-world ideas of monarchy and social class. Two influential men, both long critical of the English crown, published two of the most important works of writing in American history, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and Thomas Jefferson’s The Declaration of Independence. In reviewing their respective works, readers can see how these two enlightenment thinkers present reason in differing ways …show more content…
In contrast to Paine’s clever use of language, Jefferson used Enlightenment reasoning in the form hard, inarguable accusations to deliver his message, “The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of unremitting injuries and usurpations…” (Jefferson 341) Jefferson was particularly aggressive in his rhetoric, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people,” preferring to list specific grievances, touching upon of much if not all the troubles experienced by the American people; “He has abdicated government here withdrawing his governors, and declaring us out of his allegiance and protection.” (Jefferson 342) Jefferson supplements these various allegations with acknowledgements of tried communications with mother England, almost all of which were “(..) answered only by repeated injuries.” (Jefferson 343) Interestingly too, Jefferson’s original draft also used enlightenment reasoning to accuse the King of being the source of the American slave trade, arguing that “he [The King] has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere...” (Jefferson 343) a topic that was not discussed in detail in Common Sense. Although some may argue …show more content…
As Jefferson stated later in life, he tried to capture the “harmonizing resentments of the day, whether expressed in conversation, in letters, printed essays, or in the elementary books of public rights,” (Meltzer 58) all of which he achieved in his document’s tone and structure. As stated before, Jefferson was unrelenting in his rhetoric, using repetition heavily in his list of grievances through the phrase “He has; (…) He has refused his assent to laws most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” (Jefferson 341-343) This repetition combined with an assertive tone, “He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny…” (Jefferson 342) all try and convey the frustrations felt by the American people straight onto those in power. The words used in these passages also of note, differing from Paine’s plain arguments, with extreme words like “tyranny,” “annihilation,” “compliance,” suggesting that he is not only trying to offend the leadership in question as much as possible, but also to elicit the emotions in those who inspired the Declaration. Truly, The Declaration of Independence was the rallying cry of the people, making a profound statement on the current authority in a manner that is attentive to the people’s