Question

excerpt from common sense by thomas paine society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil, in its worst state an intolerable one, for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer... men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent, selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they read more based on the text and your knowledge of social studies, what did paine advocate? a. american independence from great britain b. the immediate overthrow of the british monarch c. britains mercantilist policy in the american colonies d. loyalty among american colonists to the british crown

Explanation:

Thomas Paine's Common Sense was a powerful pamphlet that argued for American independence from Great Britain. It criticized the idea of monarchy (as seen in the text's description of those "born to reign") and made a case for the colonies to break free. Option B is too extreme as the focus was more on colonial independence rather than just overthrowing the British monarch. Option C (mercantilist policy) was something the colonies opposed. Option D (loyalty) is the opposite of what Paine advocated.

Answer:

A. American Independence from Great Britain