Thomas Paine and the Power of “Common Sense”

British-born Thomas Paine came to Philadelphia in 1774. Inspired by the colonists' cries for liberty, Paine captured his own political philosophy and ideals for freedom in a revolutionary pamphlet called Common Sense. Primary source material and easily accessible text tell the story of how Paine helped set the stage for the writing of the Declaration of Independence and how he profoundly influenced the course of our nation's history and ideology.