The Success of One Piece of Revolutionary War Propoganda

A. Plan of the Investigation

This investigation evaluates to what extent did Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense motivate the American public to support the revolutionary cause? To assess the extent to which Common Sense led to increased colonial support for independence from Great Britain, the investigation focuses on the novel methods and ideas Paine used in his pamphlet to persuade his readers and the subsequent success of his pamphlet as evidenced by the political and social actions that took place after—and as a result of—its distribution. The events that occurred before the pamphlet’s distribution with regards to the Revolutionary War are considered within this investigation, and the manner in which these could be linked to the pamphlet’s success are explored.

B. Summary of Evidence

Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, first published on January 10, 1776, encouraged the American colonists to fight for their independence from Great Britain. Paine was notable in that he was the first author to reach the whole American public—his pamphlet was an extraordinary best seller. Using sheer numbers to illustrate this phenomenon, in the first six months, over 100,000 copies were sold at two shillings each, and the total distribution during the time period was approximately 300,000 copies, excluding the great number of pirated editions created due to the lack of copyright law; thus, the pamphlet reached nearly all of the roughly two and half million colonists that year. The broad distribution was due in large part to Paine’s decision to take no profit for himself, as he desired for everyone—rich and poor—to hear his message (Wilson 127-129).

Thomas Paine’s pamphlet was revolutionary in its time due to its radical idea...

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