Pamphlet by Thomas Paine

Common Sense; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America, on the following interesting subjects. I. Of the Origin and Design of Government in General, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution. II. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession. III. Thoughts of the present State of American Affairs. IV. Of the Present Ability of American, with some miscellaneous Reflections.

Printed in 1776 in Philadelphia and sold by W. and T. Bradford.

Pamphlets and broadsides played a critical role in disseminating information in the eighteenth century. They provided the equivalent of the nightly news on TV. They reached a wide audience. In 1776, English Quaker Thomas Paine wrote his Common Sense, followed by The Crisis. Both of these pamphlets were influential in supporting the quest for independence.