Thomas Paine wrote the influential pamphlet “Common Sense,” important to the America250 founding story.
Paine published “Common Sense” anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. He argued in direct, widely accessible language that the American colonies should seek complete independence from Great Britain rather than merely request reforms. The pamphlet attacked hereditary monarchy and made a case for republican government.
Its anonymous publication initially helped focus attention on the argument rather than the author’s reputation. Paine’s identity soon became known, and the work circulated in large numbers through inexpensive printings and public readings. Its language reached artisans, laborers, merchants, and political leaders beyond the educated elite.
“Common Sense” did not itself declare independence, and Paine was not the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence. Instead, it helped shift public discussion toward independence during the first months of 1776. Paine later wrote “The American Crisis,” another series of revolutionary pamphlets.