This essay compares the word choice, and overall effectiveness of the decleration of independence vs. thomas paine's "common sense".

"The Declaration of Independence" asserted our nations position in the world, and demanded attention for the British aggressors. Conversely, without the document Common Sense, it is incredibly likely that our nation would have never rallied behind the cause of independence. When examining the content of, arguably the two most important texts in our nation's history, it's quite common to question which was more effective in its style, language, and content. This question, however, can easily be put to rest. Where Common Sense was insightful and accomplished in style, the declaration proved to be insipid and plagiaristic. Paine's work was superior to that of "The Declaration of Independence" in both content and grammatical soundness.

When the declaration of independence was drafted in 1776, it was common knowledge to the authors that it was a copied work. The original ideas and concepts in the declaration were sparse at best. What was being written was not new to the people in America, nor was it unique to the people of Europe.

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United States Declaration of Independence

Most of the poignant arguments in the document are direct concepts of men such as Locke and Voltaire. Locke's ideas were supportive of "Life, liberty and property." Jefferson changed these words to "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," and used them in his declaration. The Declaration is one of the most important symbols of liberty, yet all Jefferson did was summarize a philosophy which had been around since the mid seventeenth century.

During a time when most were oblivious to the ideas of separation from Britain, Thomas Paine's Common Sense presented the public with incredibly revolutionary ideas on government. By using classic examples and insatiable intellect, Paine was completely capable of proving unheard-of concepts surrounding the British rule over America. Paine did not simply slander the King, he gave...