Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776)

The pamphlet that started a revolution. In just 47 pages, Paine demolished the case for British rule, argued for American independence, and convinced a nation of colonists to become revolutionaries. The bestselling work of the 18th century.

Historical Significance:
Thomas Paine, an English immigrant who had arrived in America just 14 months earlier, published Common Sense anonymously on January 10, 1776. It sold 500,000 copies in its first year — in a country of 2.5 million people. Proportionally, it remains the bestselling American publication of all time.

Paine wrote in plain, direct language that ordinary people could understand, deliberately rejecting the learned style of political philosophy. "These are the times that try men's souls" (from his later Crisis papers) became a rallying cry. George Washington had Common Sense read aloud to his troops. John Adams said, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain." The pamphlet directly precipitated the Declaration of Independence six months later.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1776. Free to read and share.