In January of 1776. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published. Paine used common language for common people to rebel against the authority of Britain. He called government a “necessary evil.” The monarch and the aristocrats are tyrants who rule by heredity and contribute nothing to the people.
Common Sense was read aloud in taverns and meeting places. Common Sense was “the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era,” according to historian Gordon S. Wood.
The copyright has expired, the work is in the public domain and can be found at several places online. Read it this January!