Common Sense (pamphlet)

10 January 1776, from Robert Bell's shop

On 10 January 1776 the Philadelphia printer and bookseller Robert Bell issued Thomas Paine's Common Sense without Paine's name. The title page identified the author only as "an Englishman."

The Pennsylvania Evening Post had advertised the pamphlet on 9 January. The University of Michigan's Clements Library dates publication to 10 January, while some catalogues treat the advertisement as the issue date.

Four subjects, seventy-nine pages

The pamphlet directly urged the colonies to declare independence and sever their connection to the British monarchy. Its title page organized the case under four subjects: government and the English constitution; monarchy and hereditary succession; the present American crisis; and America's ability to proceed independently.

Bell printed it at his Third Street shop in simple paper wrappers, catalogued as [4], 79, [1] pages — not the 47 often repeated. Benjamin Rush recalled encouraging Paine to write and giving the work its title.

Sold out, then a quarrel with the printer

The first printing of 1,000 copies sold within roughly two weeks.

Bell proceeded with another edition despite Paine's request to wait for revisions, prompting Paine to move his enlarged text to William and Thomas Bradford. Bell claimed the first printing had produced no profit; Paine disputed the accounting.

Paine was not writing into a vacuum. John Adams later stressed that the arguments for independence had already been repeatedly urged in Congress.