What working title did Thomas Paine first consider for Common Sense?

Thomas Paine first considered Plain Truth as the working title for Common Sense.

Paine began developing the pamphlet in late 1775, when many colonists still hoped for reconciliation with Great Britain. His original concept was a series of letters or essays making the case that independence was necessary and that republican government was preferable to monarchy.

The work grew too long for a newspaper series and became a standalone pamphlet. Paine’s friend Benjamin Rush, a physician and prominent supporter of independence, suggested the title Common Sense instead. The new title emphasized the pamphlet’s appeal to ordinary readers rather than to a narrow political or scholarly audience.

Common Sense appeared anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. Its success helped spread arguments for independence, although historians debate the precise size of its circulation and its direct influence on Congress’s decision to declare independence.