American Biography
Inventions / Communications Change
Revolutionary Period
Thomas Paine and Pamphlets
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In the years leading up to 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 presses and the production of pamphlets, broadsides, and almanacs. With this newfound ability to produce written documents, people could spread ideas and information in efficient and creative ways.
One person who understood the power of printing was Thomas Paine, pictured here.
![[Matthew Wheelock]
Reflections Moral and Political on Great Britain and Her Colonies.](/tps/students/americans/communication/revolutionary/2.jpg)
During the Revolutionary era, books like this one were not commonly available. Only the wealthiest people could afford to buy books. Most literate people only read broadsides and pamphlets. Therefore, 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 attacked the British monarchy and argued for Americans’ right to govern themselves.
The ideas expressed in Common Sense were as important as 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 of the era, which were often written for the educated aristocracy.
Benjamin Franklin ran a successful print shop in Philadelphia. Printing presses like Franklin’s allowed people to produce materials much faster and more efficiently than in earlier times.
Paine is remembered as a pamphleteer and a revolutionary philosopher. This 19th century song-sheet, a popular form of printing at that time, celebrates Paine as the “Author-Hero of the Revolution.”