What would Thomas Paine say if someone asked why do we want independence?

Question

make it short but not too short like 5 sentecnes

Answer 1

~You could read "Common Sense" or any of "The Crisis" series to get it from Paine himself. However, for the most part he would say whatever his buddies like Ben Franklin told him to say. He never set foot on American soil until November 30, 1775, and he had no clue what life was or had been like in the colonies before the start of the war, which had occurred six months before he arrived. He was a failure at everything he had done in his life (including not making it as an apprentice for his own father) and he depended on the largess and good will of his patrons to survive. Had he been a staunch advocate of the cause, he wouldn't have returned to England in 1783 (as soon as the Treaty of Versailles absolved him of his treason).

Of course, once back in England, he had to flee to escape prison over yet more treasonous writings. Landing in France, he managed to get himself a date with the guillotine for refusing to endorse certain aspects of the French Revolution. James Monroe saved him from that one and he completed 'The Age of Reason'.

In 1802 he returned to the US and discovered that the views he had expressed in 'The Age of Reason' had alienated him from his former pals there. He died virtually friendless in 1809. Very few attended the funeral.

Answer 2

He would say mainly that we must have a separate church from state. Paine was vehemently against any thoughts of having a state-run religion and possibly against religion itself, some would argue. He would say "power to the people, the great and the small" as well. And he would also say, "I need to learn how to shut my big mouth occasionally" as his legacy is stained by such radical religious views.