Paper questions for the American Revolution - Kris Maulden's students

1. How do Common Sense and Alfred Young's article on George Hewes relate to the rest of the Revolution documents in the online reader? In other words, how do they reflect or depart from the arguments and concerns voiced in the Declaration of Independence and other documents? How do the priorities of people like Thomas Paine and George Hewes compare to people like Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock? What do those similarities and differences suggest about the direction and outcome of the Revolution for people like George Hewes?

2. How do Thomas Paine’s ideas for the American Revolution play out in the experiences of George Hewes? If Thomas Paine wrote about George Hewes, what aspects of Hewes’ experiences would have pleased Paine and what would have left him disappointed? Based on Common Sense, would the life of Hewes suggest that the Revolution was a success or a failure?