Thomas Paine wrote the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, which encouraged independence before America250.
Paine published Common Sense anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. Written in direct, accessible prose, the pamphlet argued that the colonies should break from the British monarchy and establish representative government.
The work became an immediate publishing sensation. It was read aloud in homes, taverns, and meeting places, helping make arguments for independence accessible beyond elite political circles. Paine donated much of the proceeds associated with his later revolutionary writing to the Patriot cause.
Common Sense did not formally declare independence and did not replace the Declaration of Independence. Its role was persuasive: it helped shape public debate during the months before Congress approved the Declaration in July 1776.