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    Common Sense by Thomas Paine Summary

    Common Sense
    Thomas Paine
    4 (38717 Reviews)
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    Overview of Common Sense

    The pamphlet that sparked a revolution. "Common Sense" sold 120,000 copies in three months, transforming colonial grievances into a fight for independence. Even Washington had Paine's words read to troops - the 1776 viral sensation that made revolution inevitable.

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    "Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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    "Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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    In 1774, a failed corsetmaker and dismissed tax collector arrived in Philadelphia with nothing but a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. Within fourteen months, this seemingly unremarkable immigrant would ignite the American Revolution with words so powerful they still echo today. "These are the times that try men's souls," Thomas Paine would write, in phrases so stirring that George Washington had them read to his freezing troops before crossing the Delaware. What made Paine's writing revolutionary wasn't just its content but its accessibility-he spoke directly to ordinary people in language they understood, making complex political ideas feel like common sense. Imagine a pamphlet so persuasive it could sell 150,000 copies in a population of just 3 million-the modern equivalent of 15 million copies today. That was "Common Sense," which transformed reluctant colonists into passionate revolutionaries almost overnight. Yet despite his extraordinary influence, Paine donated all profits from his revolutionary writings to the American cause. This selflessness reflected his lifelong commitment to principle over profit, a stance that would eventually cost him dearly. By the time of his death in 1809, the man John Adams credited with causing the American Revolution died nearly penniless and largely forgotten, with only six mourners at his funeral.

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    From Society's Margins to History's Center Stage

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    The Pamphlet That Changed Everything

    4

    Sustaining the Revolution Through Crisis

    5

    Rights, Reason, and Radical Reform

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    Pioneer of Social Justice and Lasting Legacy