Thomas Paine was an important figure in the politics of the colonies and the American Revolution. He was an outspoken advocate for American independence and petitioned the people of the colonies to abandon reconciliation with the Enligsh monarchy through his popular text, Common Sense.
In this published pamphlet, which was read by one in five colonists, Paine argues the idea of American can be made successful through freedom and the end of tyrannical oppression by the monarchy. Paine makes plain his disgust with monarchist rule, but the text is more than a petition for government reform, he also argues that American people can set a new precedent for people everywhere that is focused on freedom, in all parts of life.
