This 250th Warbler Classics anniversary edition of Common Sense includes essential and illuminating contributions by Christopher Hitchens and Robert G. Ingersoll along with a biographical timeline. First published in early 1776, Thomas Paine's Common Sense ignited the revolutionary spirit of the American colonies. Written in bold, accessible prose, it transformed abstract debate into urgent conviction, persuading those in leadership and ordinary citizens that independence was both natural and necessary. Circulating far and wide, the pamphlet's radical clarity turned private discontent into public demand, making it one of the least acknowledged yet most decisive forces behind America's break with Britain.