Common Sense

In January, 1776, a pamphlet titled Common Sense was published in Philadelphia. Within days, Thomas Paine’s revolutionizing message, which urged the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain, spread throughout the Colonies and Europe. Common Sense made Paine not only an instant celebrity but also the target of much controversy. At this point, the colonists had enough of King George’s taxes and acts, making them extremely furious with the misrepresentation of their voices in the British government. This overall resentment towards Great Britain exalted Paine into an instant hero, who had the courage to publish what all the colonists where afraid to say.

While many viewed Paine as a brave leader, others looked at him with scorn for betraying the King and their homeland. This fairly large group of people, known as the loyalists, was outraged with Paine’s message because they believed that the colonists’ loyalty shall always lie within the king. While the separation of the colonists, into loyalists and patriots (those who wanted independence) had escalated for quite a few years, it was Common Sense that was the final factor that pushed the patriots to unite together and declare independence from Britain. The events following Common Sense are well known: the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation, and so on. However, what is not so well known is how the frail Continental Army of 14,000 men led by George Washington was able to make the world’s strongest, and most equipped army surrender. The colonists were able to defeat the British army, for one major reason: they were fighting for their own land and way of life. This gave the colonists a stronger sense of determination because it was their freedom at stake. Although the British army had all the modern weapons and supplies, what they did not have is a burning desire to win.

What is interesting about the fact that the colonists won the war is that this type of war, where a group or nation is fighting for their own way of life, occurred several times in the future. In Vietnam, the natives had a much stronger motive to fight because it was their land and way of life at stake. In the end the United States lost. In Iraq, we are encountering a similar situation. We are fighting on the Iraqi’s land and trying to change their government, which strongly defines that nation. It is here that I can apply one of the most memorable things any teacher has told me. “It is impossible, or extremely difficult, to win against an army fighting for their own ideology.” The colonists experienced this first hand, which is why they fought till their last breath. The British army surrendered because they had much less to lose. However, if the situation was reversed, the British would most definitely have not surrendered as soon. The significance of Common Sense is that it brought out a deep drive in the colonists that made them want to stand up for their freedom and ideologies. It is therefore important to take into consideration the motives of the Iraqi’s and other Middle East nations, because although many are fighting for a terrorizing cause, they are still fighting for their ideology, which makes it much more difficult on our part. Simplifying such situations by saying that we are merely trying to change their government is a huge understatement, because we are trying to change them and their ways of life. In the end, this makes them want to fight just as badly as the colonists fought for their freedom because it is human nature to fight more seriously for one’s own life.