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Thomas Paine’s Common Sense | A250 Mini Documentary

In early 1776, as the Revolutionary War intensified across North America, the American cause stood at a crossroads. Fighting had erupted at Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, British warships patrolled colonial waters, and a massive invasion force was preparing to crush the rebellion. Yet many colonists still hesitated to break with Britain until Thomas Paine’s Common Sense delivered a bold, uncompromising case for independence and republican self-government.

The pamphlet became an instant bestseller, spreading through taverns, homes, and the Continental Army and helping turn public opinion toward independence. Its powerful case for natural rights and a government of citizens influenced Congress and helped pave the way for the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

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In this episode of Primary Source Essentials, explore Common Sense by Thomas Paine and its powerful role in the American Revolution. Published in January 1776, Common Sense made a bold case for American independence, attacking monarchy and hereditary rule while calling the British king a threat to natural rights and liberty. Paine argued for republican government, popular sovereignty, and the idea that in a republic “the law is king.” By promoting a continental American identity rooted in liberty and equality, Common Sense became a bestseller that helped build popular support for independence and influenced the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

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