He reminded the colonists that America was not a British nation, but a nation composed of many different people, of varied influences. Paine pointed out that there was no sense for an island to rule a continent. At a time when American colonists were on the brink of revolution, Common Sense focused on reasons for independence from Britain.

The clearly defined reasoning in his writing led colonists to unite in the patriotic cause of freedom. He wrote in a language colonists used every day, making a more significant impact in spelling out the inequities which colonists faced under British rule. Because of its treasonous content, Paine wrote Common Sense anonymously. The laying a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind, and extirpating the Defenders thereof from the Face of the Earth, is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling of which Class, regardless of Party Censure, is the AUTHOR.Ĭommon Sense presented two main points: independence from England, and the creation of a democratic republic. Many circumstances hath, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested. The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. The wise, and the worthy, need not the triumph of a pamphlet and those whose sentiments are injudicious, or unfriendly, will cease of themselves unless too much pains are bestowed upon their conversion. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves. As a long and violent abuse of power, is generally the Means of calling the right of it in question (and in Matters too which might never have been thought of, had not the Sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry) and as the King of England hath undertaken in his OWN RIGHT, to support the Parliament in what he calls THEIRS, and as the good people of this country are grievously oppressed by the combination, they have an undoubted privilege to inquire into the pretensions of both, and equally to reject the usurpation of either. Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not YET sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favour a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.

Author of the pamphlet common sense