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In the 1770s, the American colonies were working up to a revolution. But while the colonists were increasingly dissatisfied with British rule, there was no general consensus on what to do about it. Thomas Paine saw a clear solution. In 1776, he published Common Sense. Caroline Winterer discusses Common Sense, a pamphlet that uses the language of the people to denounce monarchical rule and advocate for a new, independent government. Caroline Winterer is a professor of History at Stanford where she teaches early American history, particularly the history of ideas, political theory, and the history of science. She co-edited Time in Maps: From the Age of Discovery to Our Digital Era and is the author of American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason, among other works. See more information on our website, WritLarge.fm.
Zachary Davis is the host of Ministry of Ideas and Writ Large and the Editor-in-Chief of Radiant.