Question

How Did Common Sense Create Tension in the Colonies? Examine the four primary sources in the reading, and write down evidence from each source that helps answer this question.

a) Common Sense questioned the legitimacy of monarchy, inciting discussions about independence from Britain.
b) It highlighted the unjust governance of the colonies by a distant ruler, fostering a desire for self-governance.
c) Common Sense spread revolutionary ideas, leading to debates and conflicts about the colonies' political future.
d) The pamphlet fueled anti-British sentiment, amplifying tensions between the colonies and the crown.

Answer 1

Thomas Paine's pamphlet 'Common Sense' contributed to the growing tension in the colonies by attacking the legitimacy of the monarchy, underscoring the British government's neglect of its duty to the colonists, promoting self-governance, and spreading revolutionary ideas that led to anti-British sentiments.

Step-by-step explanation:

Common Sense by Thomas Paine created tension in the colonies by challenging the status quo and bringing radical ideas to the foreground. This pamphlet questioned the legitimacy of monarchy and argued that a hereditary monarchy was unjust, thereby encouraging discussions about independence from Britain. Paine laid out plain arguments that a government has a duty to the people, and when the government fails in that duty, as the British government did against the interests of the colonies, a change is necessary.

Common Sense highlighted the economic issues of mercantilism and the obstruction it posed to colonial development. By doing so, it fueled a desire for self-governance among the colonists. Paine's writing, accessible and aimed at the average colonist, spread revolutionary ideas, which led to intense debates and conflicts regarding the political future of the colonies. Lastly, the pamphlet played a significant role in amplifying anti-British sentiment, intensifying the existing tensions between the colonies and the crown.