For America250, Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet arguing for independence was Common Sense.
Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, Common Sense used direct language to make the case that the American colonies should separate from Britain. Paine attacked hereditary monarchy and argued that a representative republic would better serve the colonies. Its accessible style helped bring political arguments to readers beyond the educated elite.
The pamphlet appeared months before the Declaration of Independence and became one of the most influential works of revolutionary political writing. It is often credited with changing public discussion, although historians debate exactly how directly it affected Congress's decision. Common Sense is not the same work as Paine's Rights of Man, which was published in two parts in 1791 and 1792 in response to the French Revolution.