by Sally Morem

Created on: August 23, 2009

Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" has been called the most influential pamphlet in history. He self published it on Valentine's Day in 1776 and it became an instant best-seller. It heartened patriots into redoubling their efforts on behalf of the Cause.

But, it is also a significant work in the history of political philosophy. In an era dominated by tyrannies and absolute monarchies, with but few republics, Paine reasoned his way to an astonishingly modern understanding of governance, at least to us Americans living in the 21st century.

Ben Franklin was impressed enough by Paine's writings in England to sponsor his move to America in 1774. In Philadelphia, he became a journalist and essayist. After the publishing of "Common Sense," he continued to write pamphlets encouraging the patriots in their efforts in a series called "The American Crisis."

Sponsoring Paine was one of the best things Franklin ever did.

"Common Sense." A blunt assessment; a call for thought and action; a very American kind of name. Its words, clear as a bell, brought focus to the often inchoate yearnings of patriots:

"O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind."

Which is precisely what happened time after time in American history.

He sought to disabuse Americans of the notion that the much lauded tripartite British form of government, king-peers-commons, fosters freedom:

"To say that the constitution of England is a union of three powers reciprocally checking each other, is farcical, either the words have no meaning, or they are flat contradictions."

"The prejudice of Englishmen, in favor of their own government by king, lords, and commons, arises as much or more from national pride than reason. Individuals are undoubtedly safer in England than in some other countries, but the will of the king is as much the law of the land in Britain as in France, with this difference, that instead of proceeding directly from his mouth, it is handed to the people under the most formidable shape of an act of parliament. For the fate of Charles the First, hath only made kings more subtle not- more just."

He urged Americans to

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