Thomas Paine wrote the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, which urged the American colonies to seek independence from Great Britain.
Paine published Common Sense anonymously in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. The pamphlet used direct, accessible language rather than the formal style common in political writing, helping it reach readers outside the educated elite.
Common Sense attacked monarchy and hereditary rule while arguing that the colonies should form an independent republic. It circulated widely through print, public reading, tavern discussions, and unofficial reprints during the months before the Declaration of Independence.
A common mix-up is confusing Common Sense with Paine’s later American Crisis essays, which supported the Revolutionary cause during the war. Benjamin Franklin helped Paine travel to America, but Franklin did not write Common Sense. Paine later became known for works including The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason.