The essay was written in 1774, and just a few weeks later the first anti-slavery society in America was formed in Philadelphia. Paine (1736-1809) was a founding member (USA 2014).

Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution, which rests on his pamphlets, especially Common Sense, which crystallized sentiment for independence in 1776. (USA: Bill of Rights Institute 2021)

This lesson focuses on the sections central to Paine’s argument in Common Sense (USA: National Humanities Center 2021).

Thomas Paine's Common Sense was instrumental in shifting the argument from accommodation with Britain to outright independence for the American colonies (USA: EDSITEment 2021).