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Primary sourceBook10 January 1776

Common Sense

Thomas Paine · 10 January 1776

Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet, which attacked George III personally as the 'Royal Brute of Britain' and argued against monarchy, turning colonists against the King.

Paine's pamphlet personally attacked George III, calling him a 'Royal Brute,' turning colonial opinion decisively against the King.

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Title page of the 1776 Philadelphia pamphlet Common Sense, addressed to the Inhabitants of America, printed by R. Bell in Third Street. Handwritten annotations include a name in the top corner and Thomas Paine's name near the bottom.
Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776. Printed by R. Bell, Philadelphia.

About this source

What it is

Published anonymously on 10 January 1776 in Philadelphia, this 47-page pamphlet by Thomas Paine argued for American independence from Great Britain. Written in plain, persuasive language, it became the best-selling pamphlet of the revolutionary era, read aloud in taverns and meeting places across the colonies.

Why it matters

Paine's pamphlet attacked George III directly, calling him the 'Royal Brute of Britain,' and argued against monarchy as a system of government. It helped shift public opinion in the colonies from seeking reconciliation with the King toward demanding full independence, making the King a personal symbol of the conflict.

Look closer

  • Why might Paine have chosen to attack the King personally rather than just British policy?
  • Why do you think the pamphlet was published anonymously at first?
  • How did plain, direct language help Paine's arguments reach ordinary people?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of George III and Thomas Paine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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