Thomas Paine 
Common Sense 

Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. Common Sense explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence so clearly and simply that the text inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain.