Changes

{{main|Common Sense}}

{{main|Common Sense}}

[[image:commonsense.jpg|100px|thumb|First page of ''Common Sense'']]

[[image:commonsense.jpg|100px|thumb|First page of ''Common Sense'']]

While these disheartening measures were being passed by Parliament, something to offset them had occurred in America. This was the publication by [[Thomas Paine]] of a pamphlet entitled [[Common Sense]]. Though an Englishman, Paine had early imbibed the spirit of [Republicanism]], and having an intense hatred of oppression, the style and manner of his pamphlet were such that they instantly aroused the energies of the colonists and fired their passions to maintain the struggle for liberty. In this pamphlet, Paine used every available argument on the subject of independence and employed every means of reaching all classes of people.

While these disheartening measures were being passed by Parliament, something to offset them had occurred in America. This was the publication by [[Thomas Paine]] of a pamphlet entitled [[Common Sense]]. Though an Englishman, Paine had early imbibed the spirit of [[Republicanism]], and having an intense hatred of oppression, the style and manner of his pamphlet were such that they instantly aroused the energies of the colonists and fired their passions to maintain the struggle for liberty. In this pamphlet, Paine used every available argument on the subject of independence and employed every means of reaching all classes of people.

To impress the religious element, he employed the Scriptures and the name of the king was rendered odious in the eyes of those colonists who had read the history of the Jews as recorded in the Old Testament. He used the history of the children of Israel to show the foolishness of revolting against a government instituted by Heaven itself, and clearly portrayed the consequences of the absurd lust after kings to rule over them. This afforded Paine an excellent chance for prepossessing the colonists in favor of republican institutions and instilling into their minds a prejudice against the king as being the "anointed of the Lord."

To impress the religious element, he employed the Scriptures and the name of the king was rendered odious in the eyes of those colonists who had read the history of the Jews as recorded in the Old Testament. He used the history of the children of Israel to show the foolishness of revolting against a government instituted by Heaven itself, and clearly portrayed the consequences of the absurd lust after kings to rule over them. This afforded Paine an excellent chance for prepossessing the colonists in favor of republican institutions and instilling into their minds a prejudice against the king as being the "anointed of the Lord."