Read this quotation. The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind . . . The laying a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind . . . is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling. —Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 In this quotation, Paine argues that the American desire for independence is universal, or shared by everyone. only the concern of Britain and the colonies. different from those of people in other countries. too complicated for most people to understand.