“what did thomas paine mean by the statement “the period of debate is closed?” Letters and petitions were already sent addressing the problems yet the British answered them with additional taxes and mor eintrusion on their lives with the Quartering Act, Stamp Act, and Sedition Acts. It was the view of the British that these additional taxes would pay back the money the British spent fighting the French and Indian Wars. Why should the colonists (who incidently helped the British agains the French, have to pay for the War that England chose to fight. the British then made it illegal for the Colonists from owning any land west of the Allegheny Mountains. Many colonists had already purchased land there.

“why did paine feel the colonists could “flourish” w/out their connection to great britain?

The colonists had become somewhat self sufficient and could trade with other countries so they did not need the British to survive. I’m sure they would have preferred to trade with the British, but not if the cost was this great.

If the colonists were to be taxed at a higher rate than the British citizens and yet have no voice in their lives, then it would be easy to understand Paine’s view of the British as parasites.

2. They would flourish because of America’s abundant supply of resources, it would be easy to get involved in the international market and to support themselves.

3. To say just the English were involved in America is a gross exageration, France, Spain, Portugal all had settlements in the Americas, so they all helped make what we know as ‘America.’