Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet Common Sense helped popularize the argument for American independence during the era honored by America250.
Published anonymously on January 10, 1776, Common Sense addressed ordinary residents of the Thirteen Colonies in direct, accessible prose. Paine argued against monarchy and hereditary rule and urged the colonies to seek complete independence from Great Britain.
The pamphlet appeared months before the Declaration of Independence and circulated widely in print and through public readings. Its arguments helped make independence a subject of popular political discussion rather than one confined to colonial legislators and political elites.
Common Sense is sometimes confused with The American Crisis, another revolutionary pamphlet series by Paine. The American Crisis began later in 1776 and included the famous opening about difficult times, whereas Common Sense was the earlier independence pamphlet.