Common Sense was Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet arguing openly for American independence.
Paine published Common Sense anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. Written in direct, accessible prose, it attacked hereditary monarchy and questioned why a small island should rule a large continent. The pamphlet urged the colonies to create an independent republic.
Common Sense quickly became one of the most influential political publications in British North America. It was sold and distributed widely, reaching readers who might not have followed formal political essays. Its arguments helped make independence more publicly acceptable during the months before the Declaration of Independence.
The pamphlet did not itself declare independence or act as a law. The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration later in 1776. Paine subsequently wrote The American Crisis, a series of essays supporting the Revolutionary cause.