Thomas paine biography 1776 common sense
1776: Paine, Common Sense (Pamphlet)!
The American colonies faced a critical juncture during the harsh winter of 1776. For years, frustration with British rule had been simmering.
Thomas paine biography 1776 common sense
Taxes were high, decisions were made far away in London, and King George III seemed indifferent to the struggles of everyday colonists. Some believed it was time to break free, but many others hesitated, unsure if the rebellion was worth the risk to life and property.
Amid this uncertainty, a man named Thomas Paine decided it was time to act—not with weapons, but with words.
Paine wasn’t a general or a wealthy politician. He was an immigrant from England, a former corset-maker turned writer, and a man with a fierce belief in the power of ordinary people to change their destiny. He sat down and wrote a pamphlet that would forever alter the course of history.
He called it Common Sense.
A Revolutionary Idea
When Common Sense was first published in January 1776, it landed like a lightning bolt.
At the time, many colonists still