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Common Sense

by Thomas Paine (1737–1809)

  • Free to read
  • 1 hour to read
  • 5 chapters
  • Reading level: 10th to 12th grade

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is a pamphlet published in January 1776 advocating independence from Great Britain for the Thirteen Colonies. Written in clear, persuasive prose, Paine presents moral and political arguments to encourage common people to fight for egalitarian government. Published anonymously at the American Revolution's beginning, it became an immediate sensation—the best-selling American title of all time. Paine connected independence with Protestant beliefs and structured his work like a sermon, making the first serious case for full independence when reconciliation still dominated colonial thinking.

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  • United States · Politics and government · 1775-1783
  • Political science · Early works to 1800
  • Monarchy · Early works to 1800

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Author

P.S. The Publication of this new Edition hath been delayed, with a View of taking notice (had it been necessary) of any Attempt to refute the Doctrine of Independance: As no Answer hath yet appeared, it is now presumed that none will, the Time needful for getting such a Performance ready for the Public being considerably past.

Who the Author of this Production is, is wholly unnecessary to the Public, as the Object for Attention is the Doctrine itself, not the Man. Yet it may not be unnecessary to say, That he is unconnected with any Party, and under no sort of Influence public or private, but the influence of reason and principle.

Philadelphia, February 14, 1776

OF THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL,
WITH CONCISE REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION.

Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first a patron, the last a punisher.

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Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Author
  3. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession
  4. Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs
  5. Appendix

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About this edition

This free edition of Common Sense by Thomas Paine comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #147, released 1994-07-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Essays, Letters & Speeches, History - American, History - British, History - Modern (1750+), Politics.

Other editions: eBook #3755.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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