Thomas Paine came to the colonies in 1774 from England. He arrived at a time when there were serious problems between the colonists and Great Britain. British laws and policies angered the colonists, and they responded with protests and boycotts. Violence between the colonists and the British army increased.
In January 1776, Thomas Paine wrote a book titled "Common Sense." In it he urged that the colonies break away from Great Britain and he criticized British rule. He claimed that Britain’s rule was a threat to the colonist's liberty. But he didn’t want the colonies to have the same type of government that Great Britain had. Instead, he called for a democracy with the power in the hands of the people!
Thomas Paine was one of the first people to promote independence from Great Britain. Paine wrote his passion in calling for an independent America. He used common, simple language. He wanted as many people as possible to read and understand his ideas.
Paine's book, Common Sense, was so popular that he sold about half a million copies by the end of the American Revolution. It captured the spirit of what many people believed about the colonies situation with Great Britain. Common Sense convinced many colonists to support the revolutionary movement.
George Washington believed Paine’s writings were so inspiring that they should be read to the American troops fighting for independence!