"Common Sense?" Topic

"On January 10, 1776, while the Second Continental Congress was deliberating on the future of the "united colonies," a 46-page pamphlet was put out for sale. Simply titled Common Sense, it became a publishing phenomenon, a best-seller in its time. The first printing sold out in two weeks and over 150,000 copies were sold throughout America and Europe. Written by Thomas Paine, an unknown Englishman who had emigrated only fifteen months earlier, it burst upon the scene like a meteor—a "disastrous meteor," wrote John Adams, who felt Paine's inflammatory call for independence would undermine the deliberative work of the Continental Congress. While Paine's basic message—abandon the goal of reconciliation and declare independence—was not new, he went much further. Reject British heritage, condemn monarchy, embrace democracy, enlighten the world. This doesn't sound very revolutionary to us, but it was. "We have it in our power," insisted Paine, "to begin the world all over again."

Yet Paine's major impact came not from being inspirational, but from being angry. "The point to remember," writes literary historian Robert Ferguson, "is that Paine's natural and intended audience is the American mob. . . . He uses anger, the natural emotion of the mob, to let the most active groups find themselves in the general will of a republican citizenry."1 Before Paine, adds Ferguson, the rhetoric of published discourse had been moderate; educated men wrote civilly for publication and kept their fury for private letters and diaries. Then came Paine, calling Britain an "open enemy," denouncing George III as "Royal Brute of England," and mocking the prospect of reconciliation as "truly farcical" and "a fallacious dream." To think otherwise, he charges, is "repugnant to reason." Here we examine Common Sense and the independent spirit it spurred among the "common people," the contempt it received from Loyalists, and the anxiety it caused Patriot leaders…"
Main page
link

Armand

Mass media pretty much always appeals to emotions. Reporters do not ask "what do you think?" because some people don't. They ask "how does that make you feel?" One more way we abolish citizenship.

And how is citizenship 'abolished' by journalists? Seems to me that it is enhanced by journalism and an informed electorate.

Asking someone "how they feel" about such and such is not enhancing anything. These types of journalists are simply selling sensationalism for profit. The main stream media is disgusting.

I thought we were discussing Thomas Paine and 'Common Sense?'

At least that is the topic of the OP…

There are interesting entries on Paine and Common Sense in Boatner's Encyclopedia as well as A Companion to the American Revolution, edited by Jack Greene and R Pole.

And how is citizenship 'abolished' by journalists? Seems to me that it is enhanced by journalism and an informed electorate.

Yea, I can see you discussing Thomas Paine from above, NOT.

Kevin did address Common Sense, referring to Boatner's excellent encyclopedia of the AWI.

What I find fascinating about Paine is the fact that he was really just a bitter leftist pamphleteer. I don't think he made a dime on either Common Sense or The American Crisis. Copyright? What's copyright? He wrote them, and dozens of printers reproduced them.
Common Sense was a catalyst, making revolutionary views more widespread for the Common Man.

The American Crisis was done during the darkest days, before Trenton. "These are the times that try men's souls…"

My favorite Communist novelist Howard Fast (Spartacus, Masada, April Morning, The Crossing…) wrote an excellent novel about that miserable person Paine. Read "Citizen Tom Paine".

The Revolution needed a disreputable pamphleteer to both convince the People that a Revolution was necessary, and later to stick it out.

History isn't pretty.

Here's a fascinating Wikipedia page on Common Sense. (Sorry, Kevin. )
link

According to the article, Paine based much of it on "dissenting Protestant views" and wrote the pamphlet in the form of a sermon. There's something for you, doc.

It appears that Hollywood accounting and record company publishing has a long and dishonorable distinguished history. Paine wanted to buy mittens and other winter clothing for Montgomerie's army in Canada from his royalties. However, his original publisher Bell insisted that despite a first edition print run in the thousands, there were no profits. Paine was not a pleasant person in the best of times, so one can imagine what happened next. Competing second editions.
I'm not about to sift through the competing claims of published copies, but 75,000 is a lowball conservative estimate. That in an American population of 3,000,000, not all of whom were literate.
However, the American people at the time were remarkably literate. Paine claimed later that he helped to knock many off the neutrality fence in favor of Revolution. Maybe, but he would claim that.

He was not just some effete literary revolutionary. He was in Washington's army on the retreat across New Jersey when he penned The American Crisis.

Everybody know the story of Raven 42? I watched a reporter mangle that story because she kept asking combat veterans about how they FELT. All she would have had to have done for an award-winning interview was to ask each soldier about the courage of the OTHER members of the squad. No, honey, they won't talk to you about their own personal FEELINGS.

link

Thanks!

Armand

Who or what is Raven 42? And what does it have to do with Tom Paine and Common Sense?
Geez, but it seems like any and all AWI threads get hijacked into irrelevance these days.
Heck, I'd even rather go back to arguing with Kevin about militia. At least that has some AWI relevance, even though we've beaten it to death.

Agree. We should at least attempt to stay on topic, although drifting is a common occurrence, but not to the 21st century.

John, google Raven 42; great story! and a great painting at the National Guard site, too. The relevance to Paine is the notion of him being angry and appealing to people's common emotions, as opposed to their reason. Citizens are supposed to THINK about politics, not merely emote. Journalism discourages that. (So does too much modern "education.") Sorry if I left out too many steps.

Sorry, doc. That has nothing to do with Tom Paine.

Recently. a BBC anchor on the wireless prefaced their question with a speculative "I imagine…" then asked the reporter- the REPORTER- "How do you feel about this..?.

Now, we can return to our topic-

Journalism discourages that. (So does too much modern "education.")

How so, both counts?

Yet Paine's major impact came not from being inspirational, but from being angry. "The point to remember," writes literary historian Robert Ferguson, "is that Paine's natural and intended audience is the American mob. . . . He uses anger, the natural emotion of the mob, to let the most active groups find themselves in the general will of a republican citizenry."

Citizens are not a mob. (Note the Roussean general will.) To the extent that journalism, or education, is about feelings as opposed to calm logic and sweet reason, it discourages citizenship. This was completed in American by 1840; political parties are "brands" that advertise with symbols and collective emotion; the mob.

Citizens most certainly can transform into a mob-see the 'mob' in the so-called Boston massacre and Shay's rebellion. Then the mob is taken to extremes in the French Revolution…

Where does it say that 'journalism, or education, is about feelings as opposed to calm logic and sweet reason, it discourages citizenship…?'

One of the duties of a teacher is to produce good citizens. That is certainly what we as teachers did where I taught in addition to the necessary skills in the different academic disciplines.

Kevin, yes, I agree with all of that, though you left off a key "IF" (Actually, "to the extent that") in the 2nd paragraph statement. And IF Paine's appeal was to mob anger, as the original post claimed, then yes, he was not appealing to calm reason nor to sound citizenship.

There's some irony, isn't there, thta Paine, the professional agitator, had great influence in America and then almost got his head chopped in France.

My guess is that you have not taught in a while, or at least not in my district. From what I've seen (yes, that means it's anecdotal) educators are not too worried about the scientific method.

I am retired but my son graduated from high school in the same district in which I taught and is now at the local community college, so I keep my hand in to the education system here.

So, I don't agree with the negative comments on education being posted here.

The one frightening thing now going on nationally, however, is the move to censor teachers in the classroom on historic subjects. That is wrong and is contrary to education in general.

Why do students who come to America from Asian countries excel at higher level education? What are they doing right in their primary education system that we are not?

Maybe … they study?… (smile)

Armand

Perhaps it is emphasis at home as they were raised…?

The Asian-American students I taught all worked hard…and they were born in the US.

Yes, agreed, it is their home culture. One thing that is noticeable is that so many of them play a music instrument, which is excellent preparation for a bunch of other things.

Their success academically does come at some cost, though. Some are the classic "just tell me what i need to know to make 100 on the test", as opposed to "teach me how to think." It was fascinating and often frustrating to watch the Asian kids (we had a lot of Koreans) in the dorms, a little bit out from under the Tiger Mom's claws. I have a lot of respect for their culture, but on the whole do not want to live within it.

Asians are not a monolith. The various nations have their own cultures and they are not identical, not even close. I've spent time in the Philippines, Okinawa, mainland Japan, and South Korea, and everything from physical appearance to culture norms are different.

And the 'Asian' students I taught were born in the US, even though their parents might have been immigrants. The kids were just as 'American' as anyone else in the US.

I'm glad assimilation works.