Common Sense (Dover Thrift Editions: Political Science)

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was an influential author and reformer born in England who played an important role in both the American and French Revolutions. After emigrating to America in 1774, he worked as an editor for the Pennsylvania Magazine before publishing his pamphlet Common Sense on January 10, 1776. Common Sense presents a persuasive argument for the colonies' political and economic separation from Britain. The pamphlet cites the evils of monarchy, accuses the British government of inflicting economic and social injustices on the colonies, and argues against an island attempting to rule a continent. George Washington credited the work with changing many colonists' minds, and it sold over 500,000 copies within months. The pamphlet remains a landmark document in the struggle for freedom, notable for both its ideas and clear, passionate presentation. Designed to ignite public opinion against autocratic rule, it balanced imagination with judgment and used language suited to its subject. It found immediate acceptance, encouraged Washington's army, and foreshadowed much of the phrasing and substance of the Declaration of Independence.