Common SenseBY: Thomas Paine

Group 1: Jeff Dedrick, Jessica Mall, Nic Pendl

Government vs. Society

• Produced by our wickedness

• Restraints the vices of the govern

• Creates rigid distinctions

• Government is a punisher

• Produced by the our wants

• Unites our affections

• Encourages intercourse

• Society is a patron

GOVERNMENT IS A NECESSARY EVIL

• Government is always corrupt

• They take things from the governed but it is needed to ensure the securities of the governed

• We need the government because it protects our rights and liberties

Direct Democracy into Republic

As the country gets to large it becomes near to impossible to vote on every matter. The people also would agree that a select group of people would be more efficient.

British Gov’t vs. Absolutism

Complex• Lacks accountability

for suffering• Variety of possible

causes• Variety of suggested

cures

Simple• You know exactly

whose fault it is• Makes fixing

problems easier

British Government Set-up• Monarchy

– Must be kept in check to avoid unjust absolutism

• Parliament– House of Lords– House of Commons– Keep Monarchy in check

• Absurdities– Parliament made to be wiser than monarchy– King can overrule the Parliament anyway.

Britain Gov’t Influences on US Gov’t

• Kept constitution idea– Despite complexity…

• No monarchy– People resent power which is overbearing and

limits them– People were afraid to trust king– King had to be checked anyway

Britain France

• King George III– must go through

Parliament– Same amount of true

power– Hated

• Charles I– Total power– Hated– Executed

Group Two

Common Sense: Monarchy

Anjalyn Fahy, Abigail Maguire, Nicole Kuzdzal, Chloe Houston

Monarchy :• Monarchy is unnatural

– “Male and female are the distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of Heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth inquiring into.”

• All men were born equal, therefore a man can not be born above others with the right to rule.

• Before there were Kings were no wars.– Kings cause confusion and destruction.

• Since William the Conqueror took over England there had been more bad monarchs than good.

• Holland had no king at this time and had a more peaceful century than any country with a monarchy.

• Monarchy is comparable to slavery.• Some kings aren’t even needed. • “In England a king has little more to do than to make war and give

away places...”

Hereditary Monarchy:No family has the right to set their family above all others for ever,A man is able to prove himself worthy of being a king.

-But this does not mean his descendant his descendants will also be fit to rule.

Nature disapproves of hereditary a monarchy, which is why there are often awful kings.

-“…giving mankind an ASS FOR A LION”People that choose a hereditary monarchy are doing an injustice to their children.

-The king that rules their children could very well be “a rogue or a fool”The present set of kings probably came from “a ruffian of some restless gang.” That is not the best beginnings for a monarchy.The first kings were chosen by the people they would later rule.

-It appears that these people never had the intention of monarchies becoming hereditary.

Monarchs Born to Rule:Men who believe themselves born to rule are often the worst rulers.Monarchs like this do not live in the real world.

-If they do not live in the same manner that their subjects do, then they do not know what is in their subjects best interest.

These men are “early poisoned by importance.”Men who are born to rule are often the worst rulers.Someone very young and impressionable could be next in line to rule.

-If they became the monarch while young or even very old, then the country would really be under the rule of any “miscreant who can temper” with the king.

God and Monarchy:

God1.Rules all people2.Judges all people3.Gave humans natural

rights4.Has power over

everything

5.Wrote commandments for

people to follow

King1.Rules his subjects2.Judges his subjects3. Can take away natural rights4.Is in charge of everything in his country or kingdom.5.Sets laws for his subjects to follow

God and Monarchy:In the Bible, it is written that monarchy is one of the sins of the Jews.The Jews originally asked a man to be king. They said “Rule thou over us, thou and thy son, and thy son’s son.”

-But the man refused saying “I will not rule over you. Neither shall my son rule over you. THE

LORD SHALL RULE OVER YOU.” Government by kings is “the invention of the devil.”When the Jews asked God for a king he was very angry.

-God told them that a king would do no good and when they cried to him to save them from their king, he would not hear them.A king is almost a substitute for God.

Common Sense

Group Three:

Stephanie Foster

Samantha Hitchcock

Chelsea McCann

Allison Lindquist

Thomas Paine

Britain not Needed in America

• Without Britain they could trade freely with other countries and make new alliances

• Instead of watching over the colonies they ignored them and fought their own war against France and Spain

• They attacked Americans with the taxation and isolation• Great Britain enemies were not the same as the colonists so

they were not protected • A “parent country” should not go against its colonies • Colonists immigrated from all over Europe not just Britain so

Europe would be the mother country• They had brother ship with every European Christian not just

British Christians

Reconciliation “Besides, what have we to do with setting the world at defiance? Are plan is commerce,

and that, well attended to, will secure us the peace and friendship with all Europe; because it is the interest of all Europe to have America as a free port. Her trade will always be a protection, and her barrenness of gold and sliver secure her from invaders.”

• All of Europe is trying to protect America

• Europe is the mother country therefore protects America

• They want to make peace of all of Europe but it is hard to reconcile with Britain after all that has happened

• The only men that support this are interested men who are weak and prejudice that should not be trusted

• He ask them “Can you love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that carried fire and sword into your land.”

• Paine knows that colonists cannot love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that destroyed homes and lives and killed its people

Boston Events

• Americans made Britain feel unstable and uncertain during these events

• British cut off Boston from all trade leaving them to beg or starve.

• This shows that Britain is unfit to rule the colonies because they cut them off, leaving them with nothing

• The should help colonies thrive and succeed

Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party

Separation from England and Waging war

• Americas trade will expand to other countries aside from Britain

• Unfair taxes due to British rulers would be eliminated

• Prices would be more fair with being able to trade with more countries

• England being the mother country was needed at first like a child needs a mother at the beginning of life but in order to reach maturity there must be independence and separation.

• Also, being separated from England would mean American wouldn’t have to pay England's war debt.

• Conflicts over taxation, trade, and independence led Americans to think British troops were waging war

• Small attacks sparked anger and resentment in Americans and led to war

Mikael Moricca

Dakota Woodgie

Jacob Besok

Kyle Stover

JCC History 5

“Small Islands not capable of protecting themselves are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”

•England has too many problems and is incapable to adequately govern a land as large as the Americas and its other colonies

Significantly Bigger

Opposite of above

Blood has been spilt at Lexington and Concord

•April 19th, 1775, volleys of muskets were fired

•Blood has been spilt

•Hope is lost that peace may be restored.

•Only option is to continue into sovereignty

“; and distain the wretch, that with the pretended title of FATHER OF HIS PEOPLE, can unfeelingly hear their slaughter, and composedly sleep with their blood upon his soul.”

•King George III has set out to splash the blood of his own citizens

•King George declares the colonies “make no laws but what I please.” stating the colonists may not make any laws or decisions without the full consent of him.

•America is used as a source of income rather than a counterpart in running the government

•King George only makes laws that support England and completely disregards the colonists interests and opinions

•Promotes that the king should disregard his aggressive tactics and allow the colonists to have ample control of their government and in time he will receive what he wishes

-“There shall be no laws but such as I like.”

•Whilst under a monarchy there is such turmoil that new potential immigrants will choose to habitat elsewhere

•Independence is the last and final option to avoid an all out civil war amongst the Colonies

•British policies have ruined thousands of lives and thousands more are to come

•If England can’t keep the peace, then they don’t deserve to rule the colonies or tax their funds

“A government which can not preserve the peace, is no government at all.”

• People will be wary of independence unless that have a clear and set view of what is being created

•Proposes that America becomes a Republic

•Each colony sends 30 representatives who choose a president and all decisions made in the colonies with a two-third vote

•Should Write a Charter

“He that will promote discord under a government so equally formed as this would have joined Lucifer in his revolt

• America will be formed on law, not on a ruler

•Religions of all kinds will be tolerated

•If the Americans succeed, then America will become a safe haven for immigrants.

•Without the threat of tyranny the citizens and the economy will be allowed to prosper without hindrance.

“Prepare in time an asylum for mankind.”