Post date: Apr 30, 2013 4:54:4 PM
3. The following passage is from Rights of Man, a book written by the pamphleteer Thomas Paine in 1791. Born in
England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a supporter of American independence from England. Read
the passage carefully. Then write an essay that examines the extent to which Paine’s characterization of America
holds true today. Use appropriate evidence to support your argument.
If there is a country in the world, where concord, according to common calculation, would be
least expected, it is America. Made up, as it is, of people from different nations, accustomed to
different forms and habits of government, speaking different languages, and more different in
their modes of worship, it would appear that the union of such a people was impracticable; but
by the simple operation of constructing government on the principles of society and the rights
of man, every difficulty retires, and all the parts are brought into cordial unison. There, the
poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged. . . . Their taxes are few, because their
government is just; and as there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to
engender riots and tumults.
To see a packet of graded essays on this topic, click this link: 2011 FRQ #3 Graded Essays