Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet Common Sense helped rally colonial support for independence.
Published anonymously on January 10, 1776, Common Sense argued in direct language that the Thirteen Colonies should separate from Great Britain and establish a republican government. Its accessible style helped carry political arguments beyond legislators and wealthy readers to a broad popular audience.
The pamphlet was published in Philadelphia and circulated widely in print, public readings, taverns, and meeting places. It appeared several months before the Declaration of Independence and helped make a complete break with Britain a more widely discussed possibility.
Common Sense is often confused with Paine’s later pamphlet The Crisis, which he wrote during the Revolutionary War to encourage American troops and supporters. Rights of Man was also by Paine, but it was published later and focused on the French Revolution and political rights.