Background

 **Background**

Thomas Paine was born on February 9th, 1737 in Norfolk, England. He emigrated to the United States in 1774 specifically to assist the colonists in their efforts against Britain in the American Revolution. In the 1770s, he wrote the pamphlets //Common Sense// (1776) and //The American Crisis// (1776-1783), both of which were widely known and read by American revolutionaries.


 * __Influences: Enlightenment of the 1600s__**

o Involved a period of philosophers questioning authority of established government, and the assertion that reason is the best foundation for rule o The Enlightenment inspired humble citizens and victims of oppression to stand for their rights. It is part of the reason why the revolutions in America, Haiti, France, South America, etc. came about. o Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan – Believed people were naturally cruel, and that a powerful government was necessary to control the people o John Locke: Two Treatsies on Government – Implies people are basically good. The government should be accepted by the people. o Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws (1748) – Encouraged separation of powers such as England’s limited monarchy

Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense and The Crisis, two pamphlets that stirred up a spirit of revolution among the people. Taking into consideration the American Revolution, do you think Paine agreed with Hobbes’ beliefs or Locke’s beliefs?



**__Religion: Deism__**

o Deists believe in a God and that he has a plan for the universe, but not necessarily that he intervenes supernaturally in human affairs o God is a divine presence who created the universe and then stepped away from it and became an observer o One gains knowledge of God through reason o It is accepted that many of the founding fathers were Deists.

How do you think the ideology of deism might contribute to the spirit of revolution in the American people? (as opposed to Christianity, etc?)



**__The American Revolution__**

The Revolutionary War erupted from the frustration of American colonists towards the British homeland. Britain's Parliament created legislation in the 18th century that restrained Americans, such as the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade colonists to move west of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain's laws also included taxes imposed on imported goods from Britain, such as in the Navigation Acts of the 1750s-60s.

The primary complaint of the colonists against Britain was the enactment of these laws without proper representation from America. British Parliament simply passed laws they wanted put into place, without considering the colonists' reactions or feelings. This simple problem lead to an explosion of tension and violence between America and Britain, and its effects can be seen in the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Boston Tea Party of 1773. These tensions and feelings of anger culminated to the breaking point in 1775, where the first shots of the war were fired in Lexington and Concord.