To fully appreciate the novelty of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, one must consider that all colonists had ever known was a dependency on England and a government run by the King. Now this 47-page pamphlet challenged them to consider separating from that powerful nation and replacing the King with something called a democracy.
Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores how Paine’s well-reasoned argument resonated with everyday Americans, and why it still matters today.
Photo Credits:
National Portrait Gallery
Library of Congress
National Gallery of Art
Smithsonian American Art Museum
