Common Sense

By: Thomas Paine

Narrated by: Jennifer Mary Dixon

Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1737-1809), originally published anonymously (by "an Englishman") in Philadelphia on January 10, 1776. This revised edition was published on February 14, 1776. It had a great influence at the time, particularly with regard to the colonies becoming completely independent of Great Britain as well as bringing about the issuance of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress in July 1776.

Some estimated that more than a million copies, in newspapers and in pamphlet form, were sold throughout America and Europe within a year of its first publication. It was very popular in France. As of 2006 it was still the all-time best seller in America and is still in print today. Thomas Paine, an independent British American political activist, philosopher, and writer, edited his pamphlet when he assessed there was no "attempt to refute the Doctrine of Independence" and stressed that the ideas within were influenced by "reason and principle" and not by "party" politics. He was one of the founding fathers of the United States.

Public Domain (P)2017 Jennifer Mary Dixon