In the pamphlet, Paine argued that the American colonies should be governed by themselves rather than by Great Britain. He believed that the British government was corrupt and did not have the best interests of the colonies at heart. He also argued that the colonies had the right to govern themselves because they were a separate and distinct people from the British.
Some of the ideas in Common Sense that support Paine's beliefs that the colonies should govern themselves include:
- Colonists were taxed but never represented in governance
- Great Britain does not have common values and therefore can't properly care for the American people