Publication of Common Sense

Background. Paine arrived in the American colonies in November 1774, shortly before the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He quickly became involved in the Philadelphia newspaper business and began writing Common Sense in late 1775 under the working title Plain Truth. The pamphlet advocated independence from Great Britain for people in the Thirteen Colonies.

Publication and Reception. Common Sense was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, in Philadelphia, at the beginning of the American Revolution. Heavy advertisement by Bell and Paine, along with the publicity from their publishing quarrel, made it an immediate sensation across the Thirteen Colonies. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places.

Content and Arguments. Paine collected moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs to present a distinctly American political identity, and structured the pamphlet as if it were a sermon. The fourth section included his optimistic view of America's military potential.

Controversy and Criticism. The pamphlet drew criticism from figures including John Adams, who in Thoughts on Government wrote that Paine's ideal was so democratical, without restraint or equilibrium, that it must produce confusion and every evil work. Others, such as the writer calling himself Cato, denounced Paine as dangerous and his ideas as violent.