As tensions rose between American colonists and British officials in mid-1700s, debates arose on what colonists should do. One colonist, Thomas Paine, encapsulated the ideas of many colonists seeking independence from Britain in his work Common Sense, a pamphlet first published in January of 1776. It quickly became a bestseller and remains a classic work on American politics. After reading Common Sense, you will write a 3-4 page paper describing its contents and significance. In your paper, you will need to do the following:
What does Paine think about monarchy and hereditary rule? What does this mean for the American colonists?
What arguments does Paine make in support of American independence? Why can’t American colonists and the British solve their dispute peacefully?
What does Paine think the future of an independent American nation will look like? How will it governor? What advantages does it have going for it?
Formatting: Papers must be typed and double-spaced. The papers should be formatted with 1 inch margins on all sides and be written in a standard font, like Arial or Times New Roman, in size 12 font. A minimum of three full pages of text are required. No cover page is required.
Citations: Citations are required for this assignment. When quoting or paraphrasing from, use parenthetical citations (Author, Page #). The author’s name is only needed for the first citation, subsequent citations will just require the page or paragraph number. A Works Cited page is not required, however if you use an edition other than the Gutenberg edition, then provide the edition used.
This essay is worth 30 points. 25 points are awarded for content (following the above guidelines). 5 points are awarded for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and structure (to ensure readability).
