<Tr> <Th> Published </Th> <Td> January 10, 1776 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Pages </Th> <Td> 49 </Td> </Tr> <P> Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775--76 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies . Written in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government . It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, and became an immediate sensation . </P> <P> It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places . In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history . As of 2006, it remains the all - time best selling American title, and is still in print today . </P>

What effect did common sense have on the colonists