Original Print of "Common Sense"

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/10/2016

Known as possibly the greatest piece of pamphlet literature of the revolutionary era, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was fist published in 1776 under an anonymous author. Being that Paine was a Pennsylvania farmer, the pamphlet was first published in Philadelphia. The pamphlet argued for American freedom from British rule as it highlighted various issues that were problematic between Britain and America. Paine initially begins with a discussion of society and government and the relationship that is necessary between the two. Explaining that there should be a balance between the two, Paine highlights that the Constitution of the United Kingdom did not allow for this. Rather, the king gave nothing to the people and only took. This was a major cog in his argument that Britain was ruling the American Colonies for Britain’s benefit exclusively. Furthermore, Paine focuses heavily on the disconnect between American and British cultures. Paine argues vehemently that Americans are no longer a British people. Instead, they have developed their own, completely different national identity that is worthy of their own system of rule. Other topics that were included in his discussion were the absurdity of an island ruling a continent, the difficulty in communication between British Parliament and the American Colonies, and the impact of American colonies getting in European wars that would ruin America’s strong international commerce. This copy of “Common Sense” is a sixth edition copy printed by John Carter at his Shakespeare’s Head printing house. John Carter was at one time an apprentice to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. He later moved to Providence, Rhode Island to where he printed the Providence Gazette and Country Journal. He began printing “Common Sense” in 1776 and in 1782 and 1783 Carter printed Thomas Paine’s “Six New Letters of Thomas Paine” in the Providence Gazette. This piece is dated 1776 and is missing the final page (33) of the work.

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