What 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine argued for American independence?

Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet arguing for American independence was Common Sense.

Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, Common Sense attacked hereditary monarchy and made the case that the American colonies should become an independent republic. Paine wrote in direct, accessible prose rather than the formal style common in political essays, helping the argument reach a broad colonial readership.

The pamphlet appeared before the Declaration of Independence and contributed to a growing public debate about separation from Britain. Its sales were extraordinary for the era, although precise circulation estimates vary. Paine donated his profits to the revolutionary cause, and later editions continued to circulate during the war.

Common Sense is sometimes confused with Paine’s later Crisis papers. “These are the times that try men’s souls” comes from The American Crisis, published in December 1776. Rights of Man was a later work defending the French Revolution, while Poor Richard’s Almanack was associated with Benjamin Franklin.