An essay analyzing Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" and the effect it had on colonial Americans.

Did American colonists consider it important to gain independence from England? Apparently not; Thomas Paine's Common Sense was written to convince colonists that a break with England was inevitable, necessary, and within their capabilities. Paine set up his arguments very carefully. He began by discussing how a government should be set up: without monarchy or hereditary succession. He moved on to the natural rights of human beings from there. By the end of the pamphlet, …

…other." (p99) That being the case, "the inquiry ceases at once, for the time hath found us." (p100) Common Sense was a very effective piece of propaganda for the American cause. Paine's bold and matter-of-fact style goes a long way in convincing the readers that his conclusions are the correct, even obvious, ones. Paine's "simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense" (p86) won over Americans and contributed to the American cause in an immeasurable way.