Thomas Paine's Common Sense: The Pamphlet That Sparked American Independence

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, published in January 1776, was the most widely read and most influential pamphlet of the American Revolution. The pamphlet made the case for American independence in a direct, clear, and forceful prose that was accessible to a wide audience, and it helped to transform a reluctant resistance movement into a determined independence movement. This article examines the central arguments of Common Sense, its impact on American public opinion, and its lasting influence on revolutionary movements throughout the world.

The Context of the Pamphlet

By the end of 1775, the American colonies had been at war with Britain for nearly a year, following the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. The fighting had produced a reluctant consensus on the need to resist British military power, but there was no general agreement on the proper goal of the resistance. Some colonists favored reconciliation, others favored a negotiated settlement that would preserve the union with Britain, and only a minority openly favored independence.

The Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, was deeply divided on the question. The olive branch petition, adopted in July 1775, had expressed the hope for reconciliation, but the king’s refusal to receive it had hardened the opposition. The military situation was deteriorating, and the prospects for a successful resistance were increasingly uncertain.

The publication of Common Sense in January 1776 was a turning point in the debate. The pamphlet, written by an English immigrant who had been in America for less than two years, made the case for independence in terms that were accessible to a wide audience, and it was read and discussed throughout the colonies in a way that few pamphlets had ever been.

The Arguments of the Pamphlet

Common Sense is organized around four main arguments.

The first argument is that the cause of America is the cause of all mankind. The American resistance to British rule, in Paine’s view, is not merely a local quarrel over taxes and regulations; it is a struggle for the rights of human beings against the arbitrary power of tyrants. The struggle of America is a model for the struggles of all oppressed peoples, and the success of America will be an inspiration to all who fight for freedom.

The second argument is that monarchy is an absurd and illegitimate form of government. Paine argues that the institution of monarchy is inconsistent with the principles of reason and natural rights, and that the English constitution, with its hereditary king and its aristocratic house of lords, is a system of corruption and tyranny. The proper system of government, in Paine’s view, is a representative democracy, in which the people govern themselves through elected representatives.

The third argument is that the English constitution is particularly unsuitable for America. The English system was developed in the context of English history, and it reflects the particular circumstances of the English people. America, with its different history and its different circumstances, requires a different system of government. The proper response to the British attempts to impose its system on America is to reject the British system altogether and to establish a new American republic.

The fourth argument is that the proper time for independence is now. The longer the colonies delay, the more difficult it will be to win the war and to establish a new political order. The proper response to the British attempts to suppress the American resistance is to declare independence immediately and to commit fully to the struggle.

The Impact of the Pamphlet

Common Sense was an immediate sensation. The pamphlet was reprinted in dozens of editions in the months following its publication, and it was read aloud in taverns, churches, and town meetings throughout the colonies. The total circulation has been estimated at about 500,000 copies, an enormous number for the time, in a population of about two and a half million.

The impact of the pamphlet on American public opinion was significant. Before the publication of Common Sense, the colonists had been largely united in their resistance to British policies, but they had been divided on the question of independence. After the publication of Common Sense, the demand for independence became increasingly difficult to resist, and the Continental Congress was eventually moved to adopt the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

The pamphlet was also widely read and discussed in Europe, and it had an important influence on the development of revolutionary thought in France and in other countries. The arguments of Common Sense — the rejection of monarchy, the appeal to natural rights, the defense of republican government — were widely cited by the French revolutionaries of 1789 and by the various other revolutionary movements of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

The Legacy of the Pamphlet

Common Sense is one of the most important and most influential political pamphlets ever written. The pamphlet is a basic reference for the American political tradition, and it has been an inspiration to democratic and revolutionary movements throughout the world.

The Context of the Pamphlet

The Arguments of the Pamphlet

The Impact of the Pamphlet

The Legacy of the Pamphlet

Further Reading