Thomas Paine wrote the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, important to the American Revolution.
Published anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, Common Sense argued that the Thirteen Colonies should seek complete independence from Great Britain rather than reconciliation. Paine used direct, accessible language instead of the formal style common in political writing, helping the pamphlet reach a broad audience.
The pamphlet became an immediate sensation. It was sold widely, read aloud in taverns and meeting places, and circulated throughout the colonies. Its arguments attacked monarchy and promoted republican government, strengthening public support for independence before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
Paine did not draft the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson was its principal drafter. Common Sense was also not an official government document. Its importance came from persuading ordinary colonists and framing independence as a practical and moral choice.