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''Common Sense''〔Full title''Common Sense; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America, on the Following Interesting Subjects.''〕 is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. The pamphlet explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence in clear, simple language. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, and became an immediate sensation. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time were surrounding the British army in Boston. 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.〔Conway (1893).〕 As of 2006, it remains the all-time best selling American title.〔Harvey J. Kaye, ''Thomas Paine And The Promise of America'' (New York: Hill and Wang 2005). ISBN 0-8090-9344-8, 43.〕 ''Common Sense'' presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Paine wrote and reasoned in an easily understood style. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured ''Common Sense'' as if it were a sermon, relying on biblical references to make his case.〔Wood (2002), pp. 55-56.〕 He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity.〔Anthony J. Di Lorenzo, "Dissenting Protestantism as a Language of Revolution in Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''" in ''Eighteenth-Century Thought'', Vol. 4, 2009. ISSN 1545-0449.〕 Historian Gordon S. Wood described ''Common Sense'' as "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era".〔Wood (2002), p. 55.〕 ==Publication history== Thomas Paine began writing ''Common Sense'' in late 1775 under the working title of ''Plain Truth''. With Benjamin Rush, who helped him edit and publish it and suggested the final title, Paine developed his ideas into a forty-eight page pamphlet, which he anonymously because of its treasonable content. Rush recommended the printer Robert Bell, promising Paine that, where other printers might say no because of the content of the pamphlet, Bell would not hesitate nor delay its printing. Paine and Bell eventually had a falling out, but Bell still felt strongly about printing a second edition. Bell added the phrase "Written by an Englishman" to his second edition without Paine's permission.〔Aldridge (1984), p. 42.〕 Paine had stressed that it was "the Doctrine, not the man" that was important. Paine wanted to remain anonymous for as long as possible and felt that even such a general phrase as Bell's addition would take attention away from the ideas in his pamphlet.〔 This did not seem to matter; printed by Bell, ''Common Sense'' sold almost 100,000 copies in 1776,〔 and according to Paine, 120,000 copies were sold in the first three months. One biographer estimates that 500,000 copies sold in the first year (in both America and Europe – predominantly France and Britain), and another writes that Paine's pamphlet went through twenty-five published editions in the first year alone.〔〔Isaac Kramnick, "Introduction," in Thomas Paine, ''Common Sense'' (New York: Penguin, 1986), 8〕 Aside from the printed pamphlet itself, there were many handwritten summaries and whole copies circulated. At least one newspaper printed the entire pamphlet; the ''Connecticut Courant'' did so in its issue of February 19, 1776.〔Aldridge (1984), p. 45.〕 Fixing a firm figure for the number of circulated copies is difficult, but it is certain that Paine's words reached far and wide, out to most of America's 2.5 million colonists. His pamphlet was read at countless town meetings and gatherings, and read aloud to those who could not read. For nearly three months, Paine managed to maintain his anonymity, even during potent newspaper polemics generated by Robert Bell. His name did not become officially connected with the independence controversy until March 30, 1776.〔Aldridge (1984), p. 43.〕 He donated his royalties from ''Common Sense'' to George Washington's Continental Army, saying: As the controversy with Bell, which only served to fuel the pamphlet's sale and distribution, wore on, Paine publicly repudiated his copyright to give all colonial printers the legal right to issue their own edition.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Common Sense (pamphlet)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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