Freedom of speech is an essential characteristic of the United States of America. It allowed people to speak out against the tyranny of the British government, and it made it so the government now has to constantly make sure they are doing what is best for the people of America because they know people have the power to speak up for what is right. All throughout American history people have spoken out for what they believe is just. They knew that when they spoke out they would face horrible consequences, but they knew that they had to do so for the greater good of America.
Thomas Pain wrote common sense which spoke out against the English government. England was taxing the American colonies unfairly, because they did not allow any representation by the colonies. This was critical in convincing many colonists to favor independence because of how well written it was . A lot of the people were unhappy but assumed that there was no way out. A very ‘it is what is it’ mentality. But once people talked about ‘the common sense’ it lit a spark inside many colonists to rebel against the British government and separate.
Around the same time that Thomas Pain wrote ‘Common Sense’ a man named John Dickinson wrote ‘Letters from a Pennsylvania farmer.” It spoke out against British taxes and showed how unjust it was. The colonists felt that they deserved a say in how they are taxed even if the taxes are small. They weren’t allowed to say anything about what laws were put on them, and it made many colonists felt like they weren’t even British citizens. Many felt that if they were paying taxes , tariffs on goods, then they should be able to have some representation. Dickinson also drafted the ‘Olive Branch Petition’ to King George II. He was a very influential man, in creating a sense of urgency about separating from England. Pain and Dickinson helped lay the groundwork for having the freedom of speech be a part of American laws.
After the revolutionary war was over the...