Use the excerpt to answer the question.
A government of our own is our natural right: And when a man seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, he will become convinced, that it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance.—Thomas Paine, Common Sense
What effect do you think these words had on the American colonists?
(1 point)
Responses
A. They most likely inspired fear in the Loyalists of the Patriots.
B.They most likely strengthened the colonists’ desire to act on their wish to separate from Britain.
C. They most likely encouraged the Framers to meet and write the U.S. Constitution at the Continental Congress.
D. They most likely increased colonial acts of civil disobedience by confirming their validity
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B. They most likely strengthened the colonists’ desire to act on their wish to separate from Britain.
B. They most likely strengthened the colonists’ desire to act on their wish to separate from Britain.
To answer this question, we need to analyze the excerpt and consider its potential impact on the American colonists. Thomas Paine's words can be interpreted as promoting the idea of self-governance and the importance of establishing their own government rather than relying on the uncertainties of time and chance.
Option A suggests that these words inspired fear in the Loyalists of the Patriots. However, there is no direct mention of fear in the excerpt.
Option B states that these words most likely strengthened the colonists' desire to act on their wish to separate from Britain. This is a plausible inference as Paine's emphasis on forming their own constitution suggests a desire for independence from British rule.
Option C suggests that these words likely encouraged the Framers to meet and write the U.S. Constitution at the Continental Congress. However, the excerpt does not specifically mention the Framers or the Continental Congress, so this answer choice cannot be definitively supported.
Option D suggests that these words likely increased colonial acts of civil disobedience by confirming their validity. While Paine's words may have resonated with the colonists and provided them with a sense of legitimacy for their resistance, the excerpt does not explicitly mention civil disobedience.
Therefore, the most appropriate answer is B. They most likely strengthened the colonists' desire to act on their wish to separate from Britain, based on the theme of self-governance and the importance of forming their own constitution.