The American Revolution was much more than just a war or a historical period. It was a time when America grew up and, as the name suggests, revolutionized the way we thought and governed. It was a time when some great thinkers expressed their ideas, and these ideas helped shape America into what it is today. These revolutionary thinkers shared their ideas publicly and this gave people the opportunity to revolutionize their thoughts too. They turned what they knew about government upside down. They revolted against the ways of monarchy, realizing that all men should be equal and no longer under a tyrannical king. While this revolution was extremely powerful, it was also a trial-and-error effort. The Patriots attempted many. Thomas Paine anonymously wrote “Common Sense,” a pamphlet in which he discussed the ideas of independence from Great Britain. This helped the settlers put their frustrations with the government into words. Paine wrote it so simply that anyone could understand his ideas, and it was quite convincing. He says, “The sun never shone on a greater cause.” (Baym 326) In essence, Thomas Paine explains how independence from the monarchy would be a truly wonderful thing, and ultimately explains that this independence is inevitable. He talks about how Britain is the mother of America. He compares America to a child growing up independently of his parents. Although at one point America was “flourishing thanks to its former connection with Britain,” he says now is the time for America to become independent. He uses the example of a child who grew up on milk and never transitioned to eating meat. Even if the baby has grown a lot on milk, this does not mean that he will not continue to grow up eating meat, gaining more independence. (Baym 326) And he says that while Britain is their mother country, parents should not “devour their young” or “make war on their families.” (Baym 327) He is using this example of an extended parent to show that America no longer needs a mother country. This idea of ​​total independence from Great Britain put a lot of perspective on Americans at the time. They gained power and confidence in this idea of ​​Now, able to express their grievances and frustrations, the Colonies were able to essentially "stick to the man" against Britain. Thomas Jefferson writes how the king of Great Britain had "imposed[ed] taxes on [them] without [their] consent" and "deprived[ed] [them] of the benefits of trial by jury." the king had abolish[ed] [their] most precious laws; and radically alter[ed] the forms of [their] governments.” (Baym 342) This list of complaints goes on and on. The king took away all their basic rights and the colonists were fed up. Thomas Jefferson claims that he did not simply take away their rights, but that he also took away their basic human rights, and was “waging a cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the people of a distant people that I have never offended." (Baym 343) These are very strong words from Thomas Jefferson, but they reflect how these colonists felt. They were angry and they had every right to be