Common Sense

(noun)

Common Sense is the title of a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that was published anonymously at the beginning of the American Revolution, advocating for colonial independence from Great Britain in plain language that made the message accessible to the common people of America.

Related Terms

Examples of Common Sense in the following topics:

  • Paine's Common Sense

    • Common Sense presented the colonists with an argument for freedom from Britain when the question of independence was still undecided.
    • First published anonymously in January 1776, before the American Revolution, Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of independence was still undecided.
    • Thomas Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood.
    • Forgoing the philosophy and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, Paine structured Common Sense like a sermon and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.
    • Illiterate colonists could hear Common Sense read at public gatherings, thus bringing even the illiterate into this new political world.

  • The Declaration of Independence

    • In 1776, revolution was fomented by Thomas Paine, who wrote Common Sense; and by Abigail Adams, who advocated for women's rights.
    • In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pro-independence pamphlet entitled Common Sense, which became an overnight sensation.
    • To escape governmental censure for its treasonous content, Paine published Common Sense anonymously.
    • Paine donated his royalties from Common Sense to George Washington's Continental Army.
    • Though the themes of the pamphlet were familiar to the elite who comprised Congress and the leadership cadre of the emerging nation, Common Sense was a crucial tool for increasing popular discourse concerning independence.

  • Land and Liberty

    • Elected representatives learned to listen to these interests because 90% of the men in the lower houses lived in their districts, unlike in England where it was common to have a member of Parliament and absentee member of Parliament.
    • Collectively, the belief in these concepts by a growing number of American colonists began to foster an intellectual environment which would lead to a new sense of political and social identity.

  • The American Enlightenment

    • Fundamentally, the Enlightenment was a highly intellectual endeavor—drawing together the intellectual elites of Europe and the Americas to form a transatlantic academic coterie with one common language and shared worldview.
    • Thomas Paine's Common Sense, published at the outset of the American Revolution, drew heavily on the theories of Locke and is largely considered one of the most virulent attacks on political despotism.
    • Employing common language rather than the more academic prose employed by other Enlightenment writers, Paine argued that the North American colonies had a sacred duty to violently overthrow corrupt, monarchical British rule.
    • Common Sense called for independence and challenged the largely accepted notion that a good government employed a balance of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.

  • The Patriots

    • The Patriot rebellion was based on the political philosophy of republicanism as expressed by the leading public figures of the time, including the Founding Fathers and Thomas Paine, author of the popular pro-revolutionary pamphlet "Common Sense".

  • The Language of Liberty

  • Unifying Experiences among the Colonies

    • From Nova Scotia to Georgia, all British subjects bought similar products, creating an Anglicized common identity.
    • Many Americans saw the colonies' systems of governance as modeled after the British constitution of the time, with the king corresponding to the colonial governor, the House of Commons to the colonial assembly, and the House of Lords to the governor's council.
    • The codes of law of the colonies were often drawn directly from English law; indeed, English common law survives not only in Canada, but also throughout the United States.
    • The war increased a sense of American unity in several ways.
    • The British and colonists triumphed jointly over a common foe.

  • The Soul of a Republic

    • Eighteenth century republicanism in the United States prioritized political participation, commitment to the common good, and individual virtue.
    • Republicanism required the service of people willing to give up their own interests for the common good.
    • The pomp and circumstance surrounding monarchies cultivated a sense that the rulers were entitled to citizens' obedience and that they maintained order just by their presence.

  • Vaudeville

    • Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill.
    • The three most common levels of production were the "small time" (lower-paying contracts for more frequent performances in rougher, often converted theatres), the "medium time" (moderate wages for two performances each day in purpose-built theatres), and the "big time" (possible remuneration of several thousand dollars per week in large, urban theatres largely patronized by the middle and upper-middle classes).
    • With their sharp and bizarre sense of humor, they satirized high society and human hypocrisy.

  • Populism and Religion

    • Because of his faith in the wisdom of the common people, he was called "The Great Commoner. "
    • Bryan was horrified that the next generation of American leaders might have the degraded sense of morality which he believed had prevailed in Germany and caused the Great War.