Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, “addressed to the inhabitants of America,” was a 47-page dynamo presenting the recently ...

📅 Today in History: In 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published “Common Sense,” a 47-page pamphlet that argued for independence for the American colonies from Great Britain. It was one of the sparks ...

Thomas Paine, who provided Jefferson with inspiration. Published in January of 1776, Paine's Common Sense was a cry for American independence and an instant best-seller among colonists.

In 1776, Thomas Paine published his pro-independence pamphlet "Common Sense," which quickly sold some 100,000 copies.