Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet Common Sense urged the American colonies to seek independence from Great Britain.
Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, Common Sense presented independence in direct, accessible prose rather than the formal style common in political writing. Paine attacked monarchy and hereditary succession, arguing that government should rest on the people rather than a king.
The pamphlet appeared while the Revolutionary War was already underway but before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Its broad circulation helped make the case for a complete break with Britain more familiar to ordinary readers. Paine donated the proceeds from the work to the revolutionary cause.
Common Sense is often confused with The American Crisis, another series of writings by Paine. The Crisis began later in 1776 and was written to encourage American soldiers and supporters during the war. Common Sense was the earlier pamphlet that made the independence argument most directly.