The Political Factions, By Thomas Paine And James Chalmers

 ¬Though not entirely representative of their political factions, Thomas Paine and James Chalmers are major literary figures in describing loyalist and anti-loyalist sentiments in pre-revolutionary America. While Thomas Paine argued for America’s independence, James Chalmers counters the idea by proposing some of the possible negative consequences as well as down-playing the perceived necessity of declaring independence. The major points of contention in both of their arguments deal heavily with the outcome of the French and Indian War (Seven Years’ War) including the government actions that were imposed upon the American colonies as a result. By examining the way in which they interpreted these events, one can gain insight into their contrasting political and philosophical ideologies of pre-revolutionary America. Thomas Paine was a British-born citizen of Pennsylvania whose formal education ended at only thirteen years old, but he chose to educate himself in his free -time. He met Benjamin Franklin who then persuaded him to move to the colonies. He introduced his views of an independent Continent very shortly before the American Revolution, which heavily influenced many middle-of-the-road colonists. Common Sense is arguably his most influential work, and it was decidedly written in such a manner that the common folk could comprehend. In his famous pamphlet, he writes about government as a necessary evil, state of nature, the problems of monarchial systems of government, the