An essay that everyone knows but few have read, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was the most influential pamphlet of the American Revolution and, as historian Gordon Wood has argued, “one of the most brilliant pamphlets ever written in the English language.” Paine’s essay was pivotal in turning a divisive colonial rebellion into a revolution both unintended by those trying to lead it and still misunderstood today. Yet Paine has never been regarded as a central figure among the Founding Fathers. As we commemorate the 250th year of American independence, it seems appropriate to re-visit the document and its author to consider why we know so little about something so important. Participants must read the required edition of Common Sense before the course begins. Short lectures to establish context, but we’ll focus on discussion.