Who wrote the pro-independence pamphlet Common Sense, published in 1776?

Thomas Paine wrote the pro-independence pamphlet Common Sense, published in 1776.

Paine published the pamphlet anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776, signing it “by an Englishman.” Its plain, forceful style presented independence and republican government in language intended for ordinary readers, not only political elites.

Common Sense became an immediate sensation across the colonies. It was printed in many editions, circulated widely, and often read aloud in taverns and meeting places. The pamphlet attacked hereditary monarchy and argued that the colonies should break fully from Great Britain rather than seek reconciliation.

Paine’s work helped create a public climate favorable to independence, but it did not itself authorize the Declaration of Independence. Congress made that decision months later. The pamphlet is also distinct from Paine’s later American Crisis series, which encouraged Patriot resistance during the war.