Ifnyou live in the U.S., perhaps you remember Thomas Paine’s CommonnSense from U.S. History classes. In this pamphlet Paine urgednpeople in the thirteen American colonies to separate from Britain andnits king and to form a democratic republic. In fact, Paine urgedncolonists to break from history and orient themselves toward a futurenideal unheard of before.
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CommonnSense was first published in January of 1776, and it became anninstant success. In just three months, 100,000 copies were sold innthe thirteen colonies—and experts think that a total of 500,000ntotal were sold, because there were pirated editions (even though ofncourse electronic copiers had not yet been invented!).
CommonnSense was first published in January of 1776, and it became anninstant success. In just three months, 100,000 copies were sold innthe thirteen colonies—and experts think that a total of 500,000ntotal were sold, because there were pirated editions (even though ofncourse electronic copiers had not yet been invented!).n
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nThenpamphlet was so popular, so talked-about, so galvanizing, that Painenis often called the Father of the American Revolution.
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nWhynwas this pamphlet so important?
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nTherenare several reasons that scholars put forward to explain Paine’snsuccess in capturing people’s attention and swaying their opinions.nOne reason, of course, was good timing—events were building to makenmany people dissatisfied with long-distance British rule and fearfulnof tyranny. Another reason is that Paine didn’t use the formal andnflowery language used by learned people at the time. Instead, he usednclear, concise language. He was able to make complex ideas easy tonunderstand. n
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n(Inthink that, even today, many scholars use as many long words andnconvoluted sentences as possible, as if making the written wordndifficult to understand makes them feel smart. But I personally adorenclear, accessible writing. Really clever writing is usually simple tonunderstand.)
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Todaynis Thomas Paine’s birthday! He was born on this date in 1737. CommonnSense wasn’t his only important work; he wrote Rights of Mannand The Age of Reason in the 1790s. He was among the first toncall for the end of slavery and the establishment of human rights fornall—not just for people like him. Americans may celebrate him fornhis role in inspiring our nation, but everyone in the world canncelebrate Paine as a brave freethinker whose words and works inspiredndemocracy and Enlightenment thinking everywhere. n
Todaynis Thomas Paine’s birthday! He was born on this date in 1737. CommonnSense wasn’t his only important work; he wrote Rights of Mannand The Age of Reason in the 1790s. He was among the first toncall for the end of slavery and the establishment of human rights fornall—not just for people like him. Americans may celebrate him fornhis role in inspiring our nation, but everyone in the world canncelebrate Paine as a brave freethinker whose words and works inspiredndemocracy and Enlightenment thinking everywhere. nn
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nAlsonon this date:
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nNational Puzzle Day
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nFlightnpioneer Lawrence Hargrave’s birthday
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nGeologistnFrederick Mohs’s birthday
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