Common Sense Title page from Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, 1776. (more) Common Sense pamphlet by Thomas Paine, primary source Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Common-Sense-by-Paine Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 31, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine’s, Common Sense was published and became America’s first best-seller with some 120,000 copies sold in less than three months. Within a year of its publication, an estimated 20 percent of the colonial population owned a copy. Paine bragged that the pamphlet’s sales represented “the greatest sale that any Performance ever had since the use of Letters.” Through “simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense,” Paine reframed the schism between American colonists and the British monarchy—the conflict was not a civil war being fought over representation in taxation, he argued, but a fight for independence. ...(100 of 16414 words)

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