Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense, the 1776 pamphlet that argued publicly for American independence.
Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, the pamphlet attacked hereditary monarchy and explained republican government in plain, forceful language. Its accessible style helped it reach readers beyond colonial political elites.
Common Sense appeared when many colonists still hoped to reconcile with Great Britain. Paine instead argued that separation was both practical and morally justified. The pamphlet became one of the most influential works of the American revolutionary era.
Paine’s authorship was initially concealed; he signed the first edition “by an Englishman.” The title is sometimes confused with his later writings, especially The Rights of Man, but Common Sense was the work that made his independence argument famous.