Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense helped popularize American independence before the Declaration of Independence.
Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, the pamphlet argued in direct language that the American colonies should break completely with Great Britain. Paine attacked hereditary monarchy and promoted representative government, making political arguments accessible to ordinary readers.
Common Sense circulated widely in print and was often read aloud in taverns, meeting places, and military settings. Its success helped turn independence from a debated possibility into a cause with broad public appeal in the colonies.
The pamphlet is sometimes confused with Paine's later American Crisis series, which supported the revolutionary struggle during wartime. Common Sense came first and addressed the fundamental question of whether the colonies should seek independence at all.