On this Independence Day, let us be grateful that we have such words and such examples to follow… that others were willing to sacrifice so much to create a land in which liberty and law can be protected. Let us not destroy our history. Let us learn from it by preserving and celebrating what was great and fixing what was not. ~ Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland
I expect that at least 90% of you know more about the history of our country than I do. That said, I might be able to add to your repertoire.
History.com gives credit to Thomas Paine for contributing to a shift in the tide of opinion about severing ties with England. That’s logical, since his pamphlet, Common Sense, (which would be the size of today’s paperback) sold 500,000 copies. Think about it – 20% of the population of the U.S. population at that time. That’s a feat that most writers only dream of. Paine published anonymously, so he received no credit. Not immediately, anyway. His writing changed the hearts and minds of thousands by convincing the masses to reverse their opinion on remaining loyal to Great Britain.
I’ll give you the highlights to save you the trouble of reading Paine’s missive. And, no, I didn’t read the whole thing myself. The pamphlet is over 25,000 words and about 60 pages. Sheesh. I will, however, summarize an article by UShistory.org. Here we go:
- Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense with the goal of convincing people to embrace his vision of establishing a break from England and creating a democratic republic. (https://tinyurl.com/CommonSenseAlias)
- Paine presented arguments using a number of Biblical references, which he knew would strike a chord with the colonists. Note that while Paine wasn’t known to be religious, he knew his readers would be.
- The plain language he used spoke to his audience. They would not have responded to flowery rhetoric.
- Questions in the pamphlet challenged the colonists to think. Were they going to continue to take abuse from the king and complain without taking action?
- Paine made insulting references about King George. Gasp.
Throwing shade is not new, folks.
Going back to History.com, recall that the publication did not carry Paine’s name. Readers thought that John Adams had written Common Sense. What Adams did write on July 2, 1776, was that the day (which changed from 7-2 to 7-4) should be celebrated by including “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” Our lights and noise have been promoted for a very long time. But back to Paine.
He was better suited to speaking to regular people, given his imperfect work history and wretched beginning. He had been an apprentice at his father’s corset shop, a sailor on a privateer’s ship, a failed businessman and he was fired from two jobs. Not a hot prospect.
Paine proved he had the gift of persuasion when he talked Benjamin Franklin into writing him a letter of recommendation so he’d have options when he came from England to America. He found work as a journalist and within a year he had observed enough to increase his own dissatisfaction with the crown and to accelerate his passion for an independent nation.
Paine’s story makes me wonder how I would have responded in similar circumstances. Would I have dared to actively draw fire from both loyalists and, potentially, the Crown? Not likely. Would I have been knowledgeable enough to frame effective arguments? Also unlikely. Could I have imagined that people would answer my call for action with so much fervor? Solid no.
Of course this time of year many of us feel increased appreciation for Thomas Paine and other patriots who put their lives on hold, and perhaps at risk. Beyond that, though, I’m contemplating the amazing impact these men had on future generations and several of them at a young age. Paine was only 39 at the time he wrote Common Sense. John Adams was only 40 when he played a vital part in convincing the Continental Congress to vote for independence. He then worked with Benjamin Franklin (aged 70–not old by my standards ;)) and Thomas Jefferson (aged 33) to write the Declaration of Independence. So much was accomplished by these motivated, passionate men, and two of the three mentioned were incredibly young.
That fires me up to accomplish something that will last at least through the next generation. Not sure what that might be, and the ship has sailed on the youthful accomplishment thing. But then, those gentlemen may not have been aware of the legacy they were leaving. They simply put their passion to work, and the ripples spread. That, and if they listened to John Adams, they celebrated their victories in a visual and auditory way. I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition on the 4th. You?
I love this video not only for the vocals, but also for the slide show. I hope you enjoy it, too. Have a safe 4th of July!
