Thomas Paine and Pamphlets In the years leading up to the American Revolution, a large group of the population was illiterate. That, along with the high.

Thomas Paine and Pamphlets

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, a large group of the population was illiterate. That, along with the high price of books, made spreading the word to the common man about the Revolution difficult. Thomas Paine understood this and wrote Common Sense,

a pamphlet in plain articulate language, to spread the word that America deserved to govern itself. Besides writing Common Sense,

what did Thomas Paine do to influence America?

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, radical changes occurred throughout the colonies. New political ideas, social trends, and economic developments reshaped the lives of all people. At the center of all these changes were the creation of large-scale printing presses and the production of pamphlets, broadsides, and almanacs. With this newfound ability to produce written documents, people could spread ideas and information in efficient and creative ways. One person who understood the power of printing was Thomas Paine, pictured here.

Unknown. (n.d.). Thomas Paine. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Popular Graphic Arts.

During the Revolutionary era, books like this one were not commonly available. Only the wealthiest people could afford to buy books. Most literate people only read broadsides and pamphlets. Therefore, many news stories spread first through the literate population, then to the illiterate portion of the population through word-of-mouth.

Wheelock, M. (1770). [Matthew Wheelock] Reflections Moral and Political on Great Britain and Her Colonies. (page 1) . Library of

Congress: Exhibitions, American Treasures of the Library of Congress.

Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, was one of the most popular pieces of writing during the Revolution. In Common Sense, Paine attacked the British monarchy and argued for Americans’ right to govern themselves. The ideas expressed in Common Sense were as important as the way in which Paine wrote; he used simple, common phrases so most literate people could understand his writing. This was a major change from other writings of the era, which were often written for the educated aristocracy.

Paine, T. (1776). Common Sense: Addresses to the Inhabitants of America...(page 1). Library of Congress: Exhibitions, American Treasures of the Library of Congress.

Benjamin Franklin ran a successful print shop in Philadelphia. Printing presses like Franklin’s allowed people to produce materials much faster and

more efficiently than in earlier times.

Unknown. (n.d.). Franklin's printing press in the Division of Graphic Arts, Smithsonian Institution. Library of Congress: America's Library, Meet Amazing Americans.

Paine is remembered as a pamphleteer and a revolutionary philosopher. This 19th century song-sheet, a popular form of printing at that time, celebrates Paine as the “Author-Hero of the Revolution.”

Unknown. (n.d.). Programme. Paine's ode to America. Air-"Rule Britannia.". Library of Congress: American Memory, America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets.