Changes

==== Paine's Influence ====One reason ''Common Sense'' was such an influential piece was because it was written in a manner understandable by all. Most subsistence farmers of the time did not have an education conducive to understanding the essence of someone such as philosopher John Locke. Paine used a common language in order to appeal to people in all levels of society. By doing so, he discredited the notion that poor farmers and others of the lower classes had no choice but to abide by any law put forth by a distant government. Individually they did not, but when Paine erased the sense of isolation prevalent throughout the rural communities, he did in fact enlighten those citizens, which in turn elicited their response to revoke tacit consent.

A second reason for the success of Paine’s work is that his words appealed to the overwhelmingly Protestant audience which comprised the citizenship of the colonies. Well aware of his audience, Paine expressly employed biblical rhetoric to convey to the colonists that God is the only king and that it angers Him to be aware of anyone else in His role. Paine selected biblical quotations that indicate it is wrong, and even blasphemous to give a man the title of “king”“king, ” which suggests God can be replaced. By quoting and alluding to scripture early in his argument, Paine captured his audience. Through his use of history, religion, and sheer logic, Thomas Paine presented a very convincing argument compelling case that a monarchy is a blasphemous and oppressive form of government from which liberty for the common man could never be realized. He assured his readers that they were more worthy of God’s gifts than a greedy tyrant and that God did indeed create everyone equally. This , of course , is the premise upon which the Declaration of Independence is based.

Paine made a plea to potential patriots by confidently stating that “The nearer any government approaches to a republic the less business there is for a king.”<ref>Paine, 20.</ref>Once Paine instilled this thought in the reader, ; he continued to raise the fear that without a republic “slavery ensues.”<ref>Paine, 21.</ref>This was an especially powerful notion as Parliament was levying taxes at a rapid pace and without some form of legislative representation, farmers, trappers, and shippers were certain to have their livelihoods threatened, if not completely eradicated. It can therefore be argued that the combination of England’s taxation policies and the release of ''Common Sense'', worked in concert to create one cohesive nation rather than thirteen loosely joined colonies.