Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense was first published on January 10, 1776, helping build support for independence before America250’s founding event.
Published in Philadelphia, the pamphlet argued in plain language that the American colonies should separate from Great Britain and establish a republican government. It appeared anonymously and was initially signed “by an Englishman.”
Common Sense became an immediate publishing sensation. It was read aloud in homes, taverns, and meeting places, allowing its arguments to reach people beyond the audience for formal political essays.
The pamphlet did not itself declare independence or serve as the legal basis for the Declaration. Its importance lies in persuading many colonists that independence was practical and justified during the months before Congress adopted the Declaration.