Social Studies Programs - Americans through History

Inventions / Communications Change, Revolutionary: Thomas Paine and Pamphlets

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Similar content addressed in SOLs: VS.1a-i; USI.1a-h; USI.6c, USI.6d

In the years leading up the American Revolution, radical changes occurred throughout the colonies. New political ideas, social trends, and economic developments reshaped the lives of all people. At the center of all these changes were the creation of large-scale printing and the production of pamphlets, broadsides, and almanacs. With the newfound ability to produce writings, people could spread ideas and information in efficient and creative ways.

• One person who understood the power of printing was Thomas Paine, pictured here.
• During the Revolutionary era, books like this one were not commonly available. Only the wealthiest portion of society could afford to buy books, so the majority of the literate population read only broadsides and pamphlets. Accordingly, many news stories spread first through the literate population, then to the illiterate portion of the population through word-of-mouth.
• Paine's pamphlet, /Common Sense/, was one of the most popular pieces of writing during the Revolution. In /Common Sense/, Paine laid a series of attacks on the British monarchy and argued for American rights to self-governance. As important as the ideas in /Common Sense /was the way in which Paine wrote - he used simple, common phrases so most literate people could understand his writing. This was a major change from other writings in the era, which were often reserved for the educated aristocracy.
• Benjamin Franklin ran a successful printing shop in Philadelphia. Printing presses like Franklin's allowed people to produce materials much faster and more efficiently than in earlier times.
• Paine's legacy as both a pamphleteer and revolutionary philosopher proved to be indelible. This 19^th century song-sheet, a popular form of printing at that time, celebrates Paine as the "Author-Hero of the Revolution."