This article talks about some of the class tensions in colonial America during the time leading up to the Declaration of Independence. While the majority of the American Revolution leaders that we learn about today, such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, were wealthy, they needed to convince the poor and middle class to join their cause in order to be successful. One way that they were able to do this was through Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense. Paine was very specific about the colonists’ grievances against the British, and used language that would create a feeling of patriotism between people of all classes. Paine himself was an immigrant who had grown up poor in England, so he understood how to appeal to working class people better than other revolutionary leaders.
I thought it was interesting that several of the revolutionary leaders were upset by Common Sense because although they wanted a more egalitarian government, they “wanted to make sure it didn’t go too far in the direction of democracy.” The author seemed to be arguing that they used poor and middle class people when it was necessary for the cause, but then once they achieved their goals they returned to living separate lives. For example, when a political group in Boston called the Loyal Nine needed rioters to get the Stamp Act repealed, they organized a special dinner for the rioters. However, once the Stamp Act was repealed due to this resistance, they severed these connections and did not invite the rioters to any celebrations.
I also thought the points about democracy not going too far were interesting. It seemed like that ideology fit in with the dominant/subordinate ideas, because the elites wanted to move themselves to greater equality with respect to England, but they did not want to allow the general population to become equal with them.