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Heavy Lies The Crown: The Role Of Common Sense In Shifting Colonial Blame From Parliament To King In 1776, Megan L. Tocci

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

The purpose of this research is to provide an effective analysis of the role of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense in shaping colonial resentment of the Crown in 1776. The study draws upon primary newspaper sources from across the Atlantic seaboard, as well as books and academic journal articles published by leading historians. While most research of the American revolutionary period recognizes colonial frustration with the British Empire was primarily focused upon the actions of Parliament, little research traces the public’s changing relationship to the King. This analysis showcases the link between Common Sense and changing colonial perception and postulates that …