George Washington credited Thomas Paine’s pamphlet of January 10, 1776 – which called for the political and economic separation of the colonies from Britain – with having won over a large section of the population to the Revolution. His essay denounces the evils of monarchy and the economic and social injustices inflicted by the British government upon the colonies and outlines the principles of government for, of, and by the people outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) played an important role in both the American and the French revolutions. This edition reproduces that published on Feb 14, 1776 in Philadelphia.
