Age of Reason

The Eighteenth Century in America was period of time labeled by the works of enlightened writers, thinkers, and scientists. Focus on reason over faith by many during the Age of Reason was spurred by the work of Sir Issac Newton and Galileo, scientists of the seventeenth century.

In America, politics dominated the writings because of the Revolution: "By the time of the War of Independence, nearly fifty newspapers had been established in coastal cities"(95). Due to the enormous amount of political writing, many influential names, such as James Otis, the French writer Voltaire, and the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau emerged and their explosive works reflected the rationalism of the period. James Otis defended colonist rights during the time of taxation proclaiming: "Taxation without representation is tyranny"(96), causing many Americans to rally to his cause. As a result, many thinkers, like Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry, of the Age of Reason issued pleas for independence, raised various ideas, and contributed greatly which led to the birth of the United States.

Known as the greatest propagandist of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine was a powerful spellbinder who also stood for independence and like Otis, Paine sought to arouse men's emotions and in January of 1776, he published his pamphlet Common Sense which immediately sold 100,000 copies. Due to its electrifying message, George Washington praised its "Sound doctrine and unanswerable reasoning"(96). When writing Common Sense, Paine bases his works on sound doctrine, reasons, and openness and observed, "... I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense; and have no other preliminaries to settle with the reader than that he will divest himself of prejudice..."(handout). Although in America only a few years, Paine persuaded great numbers of men by letting them know the time had come for separation from Great Britain. To rally the faltering he wrote: "Freedom has been hunted around the globe. Asia and Africa have expelled her...and England has given her warning to depart. O, receive the fugitive and prepare in time an asylum for mankind!"(Compton's Encyclopedia Online 1). Colonists up and down the seaboard read this stirring call to action and George Washington himself said it turned doubt into decision for independence.

Patrick Henry was another

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