Common Sense by Thomas Paine Fight for Freedom! Thomas Paine's pamphlet was first written and distributed in 1775, and read aloud in meeting places and taverns. Calling the American Colonists to fight for their own representative government, this text made an impassioned plea for independence. Common Sense was an immediate sensation in Philadelphia and across the thirteen colonies. With clear and reasoned style, Paine was the first to advocate for war on the behalf of an idea--launching the American project and distinct American political identity. Thomas Paine's Common Sense maintains its readability and passion for Americans today.