The 47-page pamphlet advocated independence from Great Britain in the Thirteen Colonies. Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously at the beginning of the American Revolution and was distributed widely. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time, it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history. Paine connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity and structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon.
Published, Jan 10, 1776
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Robert Bell published the first edition of Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphlet in January 1776 at his Print shop in Philadelphia
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Robert Bell's Print Shop - published the first edition
S 3rd St & Thomas Paine Pl, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA