Hidden Corners of History Common Sense

Common Sense

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

It’s certainly no secret that this year, 2026, is an amazing milestone in American history. 250 years of liberty for the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. It is also no secret that throughout those years there have been times of turbulence to go along with the good times. In a day and age where the loudest voices are plastering the internet with their ideas and opinions, in 1776 the most effective way to make your voice heard was to of course use your mouth or in the case of Thomas Paine, use the printing press.

Thomas became a real “pain” in the ear of the Loyalists and the royalty of the day. His sharp rebukes of the Crown and appeals to the colonists to rebel against English rule became a war cry for both parties involved. The Loyalists felt that the colonies were a product of the crown while the rebelling colonists felt they were part of something greater; a nation-to-be.

Paine first published the pamphlet anonymously but was later revealed as the author. As it is with many political situations, it is nearly impossible for the ordinary person to understand the jargon and formulate an opinion. Paine’s pamphlet helped to bridge that gap of understanding in a fashion where independence didn’t only seem attainable but also appeared as a God-given right. Hence it was entitled “Common Sense.” Such talk was treasonous in many circles but the circle within the circle, the one that cried for independence, began to grow exponentially.  

While most colonists could trace their roots to England, the colonies were quite diverse. Paine made one statement in the pamphlet that struck a chord that united the minds of the people seeking independence. He stated, “Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America.” He continued to insist that England had both driven the colonists away from their homeland and was still making their lives miserable. “The same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still.” Paine wanted the people to unite as a fully independent body. He wanted them to come together as Americans.

If you were loyal to king, then this pamphlet was enough fuel for a war that was inevitable. For a Loyalist, they felt that the King and the Mother Country were the rightful owners and rulers of the colonies that had more than proven that they could exist without a king. It was perceived that the king was somehow looking out for the best interests of the colonies while draining its coffers and oppressing the thoughts of liberty.

Paine’s words of Common Sense cut like a knife whenever he stated, “I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection to Great Britain, the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness and will always have the same effect. Nothing can be more fallacious than this kind of argument.” He made it clear that he and many others believed that the colonies could have survived and thrived economically without the aid of Britain.

Some Loyalists even felt that we should honor Britain as sort of a parent or mother country and Paine sliced that notion to pieces when he stated, “But Britain is our parent country, say some. Then the more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families…”

Paine was unapologetic with his words and at one point even called the king’s loyalists “parasites” because they were sucking the life out of the colonies. Britain was no stranger to opposition as they had created colonies across the globe. However, they had never faced such a united front on such a large scale.

He appealed to those who believed in an Almighty God by stating, “The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART. Even the distance at which the Almighty has placed England and America is a strong and natural proof that the authority of the one over the other was never the design of Heaven.”

While it’s impossible to know the exact number of pamphlets sold, it is estimated that nearly half million copies were put into circulation by the end of the Revolutionary War. Thomas Paine’s writing of Common Sense is not just a snapshot of the pre-Revolution years but is instead a world of understanding in print.

For Paine and the thousands of other Patriots who led the charge for Independence we owe a great deal of gratitude. In this year of celebration, we should take the initiative to learn as much as possible about what led to the Revolution from which America was born. Keeping such knowledge in our forethought and sharing it with our youth will keep the fires of liberty burning for another 250 years.