The book delves into the principles of democracy, advocating for equal rights for all citizens and critiquing the injustices perpetuated by monarchies and aristocracies.
The document denounced British rule and, through its immense popularity, contributed to stimulating the American Revolution. The second edition was published soon thereafter.
Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era." The text was translated into French by Antoine Gilbert Griffet de Labaume in 1790.