Graded Assignment

Unit Test, Part 2: Arguments and Speeches

Total score: ____ of 40 points

Read the passage. Then answer the questions.

excerpt from Common Sense

by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine wroteCommon Sense in in 1776 to persuade American colonists to take a stand against England.

Volumes have been written on the subject of the struggle between England and America. Men of all ranks have embarked in the controversy, from different motives, and with various designs; but all have been ineffectual, and the period of debate is closed. Arms, as the last resource, decide the contest; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the challenge....

I have heard it asserted by some, that as America hath flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, that the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness and will always have the same effect. Nothing can be more fallacious than this kind of argument. We may as well assert, that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat; or that the first twenty years of our lives is to become a precedent for the next twenty. But even this is admitting more than is true, for I answer roundly, that America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no European power had anything to do with her. The commerce by which she hath enriched herself are the necessaries of life and will always have a market while eating is the custom of Europe....

Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe. Hither have they fled, not from the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home pursues their descendants still....

Besides, what have we to do with setting the world at defiance? Our plan is commerce, and that, well attended to, will secure us the peace and friendship of all Europe; because it is the interest of all Europe to have America a free port. Her trade will always be a protection, and her barrenness of gold and silver secure her from invaders.

I challenge the warmest advocate for reconciliation, to show a single advantage that this continent can reap, by being connected with Great Britain. I repeat the challenge, not a single advantage is derived. Our corn will fetch its price in any market in Europe, and our imported goods must be paid for buy them where we will....

Men of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the offenses of Britain, and, still hoping for the best, are apt to call out, Come, we shall be friends again for all this. But examine the passions and feelings of mankind. Bring the doctrine of reconciliation to the touchstone of nature, and then tell me, whether you can hereafter love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and sword into your land? If you cannot do all these, then are you only deceiving yourselves, and by your delay bringing ruin upon posterity. Your future connection with Britain, whom you can neither love nor honor, will be forced and unnatural, and being formed only on the plan of present convenience, will in a little time fall into a relapse more wretched than the first. But if you say, you can still pass the violations over, then I ask, Hath your house been burnt? Hath your property been destroyed before your face? Are your wife and children destitute of a bed to lie on, or bread to live on? Have you lost a parent or a child by their hands, and yourself the ruined and wretched survivor? If you have not, then are you not a judge of those who have. But if you have, and can still shake hands with the murderers, then are you unworthy the name of husband, father, friend, or lover, and whatever may be your rank or title in life, you have the heart of a coward, and the spirit of a sycophant....

Every quiet method for peace hath been ineffectual. Our prayers have been rejected with disdain; and only tended to convince us, that nothing flatters vanity, or confirms obstinacy in kings more than repeated petitioningand nothing hath contributed more than that very measure to make the kings of Europe absolute... Wherefore since nothing but blows will do, for God's sake, let us come to a final separation, and not leave the next generation to be cutting throats, under the violated unmeaning names of parent and child....

A government of our own is our natural right: And when a man seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, he will become convinced, that it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance....

O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.

(Score for Question 1: ___ of 25 points)

1. In the excerpt from Common Sense, how effective is Paine's argument against the idea of reconciliation with Great Britain? Does Paine use valid and sufficient reasons and evidence to support his argument? Your response should evaluate the validity and relevance of the reasons and evidence Paine uses to support separation from Great Britain. Use evidence from the text to support your response. Your response should be at least two complete paragraphs.

Answer:

In the passage, Thomas Paine successfully argues alongside the idea of settlement with Great Britain, retaining a sequence of rational thinking and emotional appeal. He denies the notion that America's wealth is tied to its prior bond with Britain, using the metaphor of a child developing on milk but not being limited to it. Paine claims that America could have thrived even more without European interfering, calling attention to the continent's generous resources and the everlasting demand for its necessary goods in Europe. His argument gains strength as he challenges advocates for reconciliation to identify a single advantage for America in maintaining ties with Great Britain, underscoring the economic self-sufficiency of the colonies.

Paine's effectiveness also lies in his emotional appeal, questioning whether one can genuinely reconcile with a power that has inflicted destruction and suffering on the land. By invoking personal losses and the impact on families, Paine taps into the readers' emotions and conscience, making the argument relatable and compelling. Overall, Paine combines logical reasoning and emotional resonance to present a robust case for the necessity of a final separation from Great Britain, asserting America's natural right to self-governance.

(Score for Question 2: ___ of 15 points)

1. Reread this portion of the excerpted text from Common Sense.

Men of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the offenses of Britain, and, still hoping for the best, are apt to call out, Come, we shall be friends again for all this. But examine the passions and feelings of mankind. Bring the doctrine of reconciliation to the touchstone of nature, and then tell me, whether you can hereafter love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and sword into your land? If you cannot do all these, then are you only deceiving yourselves, and by your delay bringing ruin upon posterity. Your future connection with Britain, whom you can neither love nor honor, will be forced and unnatural, and being formed only on the plan of present convenience, will in a little time fall into a relapse more wretched than the first.

1. What key concept about the relationship between an abusive government and its citizens does Paine want readers to understand? Use evidence from the text to support your response. Your response should be one to two complete paragraphs.

Answer:

In this portion of the excerpt from Common Sense, Thomas Paine emphasizes a key concept about the relationship between an abusive government and its citizens. He urges readers to scrutinize the emotions and innate feelings of humanity when considering the prospect of reconciliation with a government that has wreaked havoc on their land. Paine contends that a passive attitude towards the offenses of Britain, coupled with a hopeful expectation for amicable relations, is a self-deception that could have dire consequences for posterity. He uses strong language to convey the severity of the situation, stating that those who cannot genuinely love, honor, and serve a power that has brought destruction are deceiving themselves.

Paine's argument underscores the idea that a forced and unnatural connection with a tyrannical power, formed merely for present convenience, is unsustainable and will lead to a relapse more wretched than the initial oppression. Through this, Paine conveys the profound notion that a government's actions, especially those involving violence and oppression, should be assessed not only in a political context but also on a deeply human and emotional level. This aligns with his broader message that a government of the people, formed with consideration of human nature and fundamental rights, is the more just and sustainable path forward.

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