Which pamphlet by Thomas Paine helped popularize American independence in 1776?

Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense helped popularize American independence in 1776.

Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, the pamphlet argued in direct, accessible language that the American colonies should break from Great Britain. Paine attacked hereditary monarchy and questioned why a distant island should rule a large continent.

Common Sense reached a broad audience because it used plain English rather than the formal style common in political essays. It was sold as a short pamphlet and circulated widely among colonists. Its arguments helped strengthen public support for independence before Congress adopted the Lee Resolution and the Declaration of Independence.

Paine later wrote The American Crisis, a separate series of pamphlets supporting the Revolutionary cause. Common Sense is sometimes confused with that later work, but The American Crisis began publication in December 1776 and is associated with its opening line about difficult times.