The Tea Laws passed in 1773 and the Coercive Laws of 1774 did not help the already dismal relations between England and the colonies (Roark, 150-151) . Already suffering at the hands of their “mother country,” many elite-class colonists were ready to take the plunge for independence by the time Common Sense was written (Paine, 1). Paine's pamphlet, however, was important because it was not aimed solely at the upper class, but rather was accessible to colonists of all classes. Common Sense was able to unite men like farmers and artisans, doctors and lawyers under a single cause: the political freedom of England. Paine uses arguments from loyalists as well as those who are still undecided about whether America should attempt to withdraw from Britain. Through these arguments, he was able to allay the colonists' fears about independence and show them the benefits of America being its own ruler. For example, many who worried about the collapse of the American economy after their separation from England were assured that "the