Question

How did Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense convince reluctant Americans to abandon the goal of reconciliation with Britain and accept that separation from Britain - independence was the only option for preserving their liberty?

Answer 1

Answer:

By January 1776, the American colonies were in open rebellion against Britain. Their  soldiers had captured Fort Ticonderoga, besieged Boston, fortified New York City, and  invaded Canada. Yet few dared voice what most knew was true — they were no longer  fighting for their rights as British subjects. They weren’t fighting for self-defense, or  protection of their property, or to force Britain to the negotiating table. They were  fighting for independence. It took a hard jolt to move Americans from professed  loyalty to declared rebellion, and it came in large part from Thomas Paine’s Common  Sense. Not a dumbed-down rant for the masses, as often described, Common Sense is  a masterful piece of argument and rhetoric that proved the power of words.  Thomas Paine was a firebrand, and his most influential essay — Common Sense —  was a fevered no-holds-barred call for independence. He is credited with turning the  tide of public opinion at a crucial juncture, convincing many Americans that war for  independence was the only option to take, and they had to take it now, or else.Thomas  Paine’s Common Sense appeared as a pamphlet for sale in Philadelphia on January 10,  1776, and, as we say today, it went viral. The first printing sold out in two weeks and  over 150,000 copies were sold throughout America and Europe. It is estimated that one  fifth of Americans read the pamphlet or heard it read aloud in public. General  Washington ordered it read to his troops. Within weeks, it seemed, reconciliation with  Britain had gone from an honorable goal to a cowardly betrayal, while independence  became the rallying cry of united Patriots

Explanation: :)