Posted on 01/11/2025 3:45:27 PM PST by SunkenCiv
It was Philadelphia in the winter of 1776. In the few years prior, the colonies' faraway owner, Britain, had imposed taxation without representation and the so-called Intolerable Acts; colonists had convened at two Continental Congresses; and British and American troops had battled for the first time at Bunker Hill.
Revolutionary sentiment had been brewing throughout the American colonies for some time and was near boiling in the Northeast. Still, many colonists had not seriously considered separating from the mother country—until a history-making pamphlet was published in the City of Brotherly Love on January 10, 1776.
Thomas Paine's Common Sense, "addressed to the inhabitants of America," was a 47-page dynamo presenting the recently immigrated Englishman's clear case for America's independence from Britain. Paine's words flew off the shelves, selling tens of thousands of copies within weeks.
The text has been called America's first viral communications event: Its content gripped and inspired Americans, who loudly read it aloud on the street and in bars, spreading Paine's message.
In short, Paine's argument was that given Britain's tyrannical rule, the only way forward for the American colonies was to become an independent country. He tore down the idea of monarchy, questioning the legitimacy of kings like George III, who, like all other British kings, was seen as divinely ordained to rule.
"The divine right of kings is a lie; monarchy runs against God's plans," Paine wrote. "For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever."
(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...
One could argue the 95 Theses went viral first, and that was posted to a door.
Pamphleteers like Paine were the first bloggers.
One couldn’t argue, however, that the 95 thesis were American.
And it wasn’t in America.
“yet no man in his senses can say that their claim under William the Conqueror is a very honourable one. A French bastard landing with an armed banditti, and establishing himself king of England against the consent of the natives, is in plain terms a very paltry rascally original. It certainly hath no divinity in it.”
Thomas Paine-
Thanks for posting this reality that enabled our people to say, “Hell No to the Brits and their so called ‘Royalty!”.
He nailed it. Like most French bastards, he was more like a half-French bastard. ;^) Like an awful lot of people, thanks to the passage of nine centuries and the tyranny of math, I count William the Bastard (a common nick for him back then) among my ancestors. :^) Not my fault of course.
My pleasure!
It wasn’t just a viral post... it was an anonymous viral post.
Thomas Paine originally penned Common Sense under the pen name “an Englishman”
Many Founding Fathers did likewise.
Ben Franklin wrote as “Silence DoGood” and “Poor Richard”.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay... wrote as “Publius”.
Anonymous speech built the United States.
THAT is why many people in power hate anonymous speech on the internet, why they want to label anything challenging political messaging as misinformation.
Truthful words can strike a chord with the population, it matters not who says them... just that they are said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
