Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet urging American independence was titled “Common Sense.”
Paine published the pamphlet anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. Written in direct, accessible language, it attacked hereditary monarchy and argued that the American colonies should become an independent republic. The work addressed ordinary readers rather than only political elites.
“Common Sense” became one of the most influential pamphlets of the American Revolution. It circulated widely in the colonies, was reprinted in many editions, and helped make independence a more prominent public argument. Paine used biblical references, political reasoning, and practical claims about the advantages of separation from Britain.
The pamphlet did not itself declare independence. The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence several months later, on July 4, 1776. Paine later wrote “The American Crisis,” a separate series of revolutionary essays beginning in December 1776.