Other editions of book Common Sense: Illustrated

In 1775, the American colonies were a hotbed of political discord. Many of the British policies, specifically taxes, had caused American colonial leaders to consider the unthinkable: declaring independence from the British Empire and its King George. One such leader, Thomas Jefferson, wrote Common Sense: a pamphlet that explained the advantages of immediate and complete independence. In 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, Common Sense became a national sensation, and has remained an important part of American history.

Published in January of 1776, Thomas Paine's fiery defense for independence came at just the right moment to turn the tide of American opinion towards freedom and liberty. Some sought to answer Paine, but "so rapid was the change of opinion" thanks to Paine's arguments, that America's leaders not only could not oppose him, but realized it was better to ride the wave of patriotism that Paine had facilitated by distributing his pamphlet far and wide. George Washington would later read some of Paine's works to the soldiers of the revolution, and Paine would later dedicate his own works to the first president. And yet, though nearly all know the name Thomas Paine and are aware of his book, "Common Sense," few have read it for themselves. This book provides you the opportunity to do just that.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Written in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, and became an immediate sensation.It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history. As of 2006, it remains the all-time best selling American title, and is still in print today.Common Sense made public a persuasive and impassioned case for independence, which before the pamphlet had not yet been given serious intellectual consideration. He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity, structuring Common Sense as if it were a sermon.Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era".The text was translated into French by Antoine Gilbert Griffet de Labaume in 1790.

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. In clear, simple language it explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history. Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon, and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people. He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity. Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era".

Thomas Paine came to the United States to fight in the American Revolution. Considered a radical in his time, he was a great supporter of America’s emancipation from Britain. An intellectual writer, he wrote many pamphlets that were distributed during the Revolution. Common Sense, first published anonymously, was one of them. Common Sense is a treatise against the tyrannical control of the English government over America. It was written anonymously because admitting authorship would be an act of treason, punishable by death. The 48-paged pamphlet details the problems with British rule, a historical look at monarchism, Paine’s personal thoughts on the state of American affairs, and his optimistic belief that America could form a formidable army against Britain. Paine argued that the Puritans fled Britain because they sought freedom from the authoritarian government. He also believed that if America remained under England’s rule, it would be dragged unnecessarily into European wars it had no interest in. Common Sense also details what Paine hoped would be the future government of a free United States: one where delegates from colonies would form a Congress, which would in turn elect a president. His idea of a separate American government is in sharp contrast to the constitutional monarchal government that ruled Britain. Thomas Paine would eventually become one of America’s Founding Fathers, who would help write the Constitution of the United States of America. Many of his once radical ideas are now the basis of government of the U.S.A. Common Sense is an important historical document that provides reason and basis for why our government operates the way it does today. Title: Common Sense by Thomas Paine Author: Thomas Paine ISBN: 9781775420286 Version: Unabridged Language: English Reader: Solo Male Format: MP3 Audio CD Tracks / Chapters: 7 Chapters Total running time: 02:07:17