Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense

On January 10, 1776, a 47-page pamphlet titled Common Sense went on sale in Philadelphia. It carried no author’s name, only the words “by an Englishman.” That Englishman was Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant who had arrived in the colonies barely a year earlier.

Writing in plain, fiery language anyone could grasp, Paine demolished the case for monarchy and argued that an island had no business ruling a continent. He urged Americans to stop seeking reconciliation with Britain and to declare full independence.

“There is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”

The effect was extraordinary. Roughly 120,000 copies sold within the first three months, and the pamphlet was read aloud in taverns and meeting halls across the colonies. It was soon reprinted in Britain and translated into German and Danish. By converting hesitant colonists into open advocates of separation, Common Sense helped clear the path to the Declaration of Independence, which followed just six months later.