Book Review

Mightier Than The Sword:
46 Pages,
Thomas Paine, Common Sense and the Turning Point to Independence
by Scott Liell
(Running Press, 2003)

reviewed by Richard A. Forsten, Esquire

Perhaps most people are familiar with the name Thomas Paine, and know that he wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet in support of the American Revolution; but, what is perhaps not so widely known is just how profound and important an effect that pamphlet had. Indeed, in the annals of history, there are very few publications which can be said to have had such a dramatic effect.

How dramatic an effect was it? Very. Consider that in July, 1775, the Second Continental Congress passed two documents – The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, and the Olive Branch Petition – which, while attempting to justify the armed resistance in which the colonies were engaged, nevertheless demonstrated a willingness and hope that the colonies and England could and would be reconciled. Thomas Jefferson, in his book Notes on the State of Virginia, remembered that: “It is well known, that in July of 1775, a separation from Great-Britain and the establishment of Republican government had never entered into any person’s mind.” Later, in November, 1775, the Congress voted in favor of a resolution reaffirming the colonies’ loyalty to the British crown. In fact, the vast majority of the colonies continued to see themselves as British citizens living abroad; and, most of the delegations to the Congress were under strict instructions from their legislatures to oppose any measure which might be seen as supporting independence.

In a short span of less than a year, though, everything changed. The people thought of themselves as Americans fighting against a foreign oppressor. The colonial legislatures changed their instructions to their delegates, removing the prohibitions on voting for independence. Ultimately, the Congress, comprised of virtually the same delegates as the year before, adopted the Declaration of Independence.
What accounted for this stunning shift? In an age before the internet, before television, before radio, and, indeed, before any real mass communication medium of any kind, a 46-page, anonymously-authored pamphlet, Common Sense, changed everything. In 46 Pages, Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to Independence, author Scott Liell tells the undervalued story of Thomas Paine and Common Sense.

To describe Common Sense as a bestseller is probably something of an understatement. It first began appearing in local Philadelphia bookstores on January 10, 1776. By the end of the year there were estimated to be 500,000 copies in print, or roughly one copy for every five inhabitants of the colonies. In a time when printed materials were scarce, and books and pamphlets were read by (or to) more than one person, virtually everyone was familiar with Paine’s work. But what made Common Sense so popular?

Three things contributed to the success of Paine’s book. First, unlike so many political writings of the time, it was plainly written for the common man. Most political writings were dry and legalistic in nature written for other intellectuals. Common Sense was not.

Second, Paine made new arguments that went beyond most of what had been argued before. He was the first author to take on not only Parliament for levying taxes without representation, but the King and the entire British system of government as well. Before the publication of Common Sense, writers and speakers attacked Parliament and the King’s ministers as the source of the colonies’ problems. After Common Sense, the King himself was also identified as a tyrant. Paine showed that you could not attack one aspect of British Government without attacking the whole. Paine also worked to overcome the fear that many felt about independence. He described the many benefits that independence would bring, including commercial benefits and greater security, observing that the many wars in which the colonies had theretofore been involved had been extensions of European conflicts between Great Britain and other European powers. Were the colonies independent, they would not be dragged into these conflicts (and, of course, Paine was right about this – except for the War of 1812, the United States would not be involved in another war with a major European countryuntil World War I).

Finally, the third element contributing to the success of Common Sense was timing. King George III had given a speech to Parliament on October 26, 1775 opening its new session. In his speech, the King attacked the colonies and their armed resistence, but due to the Atlantic, news of the speech didn’t reach the colonies for nearly three months. The Philadelphia Evening Post first published news of the speech on January 9, 1776 – the day before Common Sense went on sale to the public. In the absence of the King’s speech, Paine’s attacks on the monarchy might have been viewed as unprovoked and insubordinate. Instead it was seen as a very timely rejoinder. Paine had written the right book at the right time.

Liell goes on to describe the popularity and transforming effect that Common Sense had. George Washington ordered copies for his troops. In July – less than six months after publication, Congress did indeed vote for independence. Samuel Adams (and others) identified Paine’s work as the primary cause of the abrupt shift towards independence.

History is written by the winners, and so today when we look back at the tumultuous years of the American Revolution, it is hard to imagine that independence was not always the goal and, indeed, that when shots were fired at Concord and Lexington, independence was not really thought of as an option. Liell’s book reminds us that the Revolution was not just a revolution in government, but a revolution in the way the colonies and the people thought about themselves, and that Thomas Paine deserves much more credit than he is often afforded with that second revolution.

Return to March 2004 Table of Contents.