The following passage is from Rights of Man, a book written by Thomas Paine in 1791. Born in England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a supporter of American independence from England. Read the excerpt from Rights of Man carefully. Then write an essay that examines the extent to which Paines characterization of America holds true today. Use at least three pieces of appropriate evidence to support your argument. This evidence must be taken from a reputable news source and cited using a journalistic style in this way: According to a 2012 article by Jim Smith written in The New York Times titled, The rich get richer the gap between the rich and the poor has increased dramatically
Notice how the name of the news source, the authors name, the title of the publication and the year of publication are included. You must do this for each piece of evidence. Please note that the name of the publication goes in italics and the title of the article goes in quotes. Five points will be deducted for each incorrect citation. Do not include a separate works cited page.
Here is the excerpt from Paines book you will base your essay upon:
If there is a country in the world, where concord, according to common calculations, 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 privilegedTheir 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.
Remember: Make sure to craft a clear thesis statement near the end of the opening paragraph. Follow this by using a clear topic sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph and by using at least one vivid, specific and detailed example and piece of data/evidence in each body paragraph followed by a reputable and cited source. Make sure to write in the active voice and avoid vague and general language. Words and phrases to avoid in particular are people (what people?), nowadays (use today), and been around. You should address at least one counter-argument at some point in your essay. This should be done in the form of a AAA or CAR (counter-argument-refutation) paragraph at the conclusion of your essay. You should write 1000-1300 words in response to this question. Please do not exceed 1300 words.
