In 1776, Thomas Paine's Common Sense dismantled the moral and political foundations of British rule and argued persuasively for independence for an audience craving change. By the end of the Revolution, it had sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Paine's writing and its reception reflected the essence of the American Revolution as an intellectual revolution.
We deservedly commemorate the military battles our forefathers fought. But the revolutionaries were engaged in a deeper struggle: a philosophical break from authoritarian rule toward a government dedicated to individual rights. The war was won both on the battlefield and in the minds of the American people, and we should always remember the connection between the two.
