Debating the wisdom of independence
Debating the wisdom of independence
During the American Revolution, John Adams, a patriot leader, estimated that one-third of Americans supported the Revolution, one-third opposed it, and one-third “didn’t give a d**n.” He was correct. We must not assume that the arguments against the Revolution were illogical, even if we disagree with them. In order to understand the odds for and against the Revolution, as well as the reasons some Americans supported it and many opposed it, we need to examine the arguments advanced to convince Americans to support the cause as well as the arguments advanced by other Americans to persuade their countrymen to stick with Great Britain.
Your essay for Module 3 will probe the debate over independence in 1776. You will read two very different perspectives on whether or not Americans should declare their independence from Great Britain. Thomas Paine supported American independence from Britain on his famous pamphlet Common Sense, The Reverend Charles Inglis attacked Paine’s arguments on several levels. In your essay you will do the best you can to explain all the arguments for and against the Revolution advanced by both men, respectively (that is, Paine’s arguments for the Revolution, and Inglis’s arguments against the Revolution and against Paine). In addition, you will explain who you agree with and explain why the other man’s arguments are weak, given the specific facts that you present that you learned in the course about the era of the American Revolution. Even if you agree with Paine, you can play the role of someone who agrees with Inglis, if you want to do so, just for the purpose of this assignment.
READINGS FOR ESSAY
Thomas Paine – Common Sense
Charles Inglis, “A crack-brained zealot for democracy” A Loyalist Rebuttal to Common Sense, 1776
INSTRUCTIONS
Your essay should consist of six paragraphs of 5-6 sentences per paragraph. You should have an introduction summarizing your conclusion in broad strokes, two paragraphs on Paine’s arguments. two paragraphs on Inglis’s argument, and a final paragraph explaining who you support and why. The last paragraph must contain at least two specific examples that you would not likely know before taking this course.
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