From the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, this is We the People.

I'm Julie Silverbrook, Vice President of Civic Education.

The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress

to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.

This week, we explore the revolutionary life, ideas and legacy of Thomas Payne in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his famous pamphlet, Common Sense. Joining the conversation are Gary Burton, the president of the Thomas Payne Historical Association,

and Scott Cleary, co-editor of New Directions in Thomas Payne Studies, and author of The Field of

Imagination, Thomas Payne, and 18th century poetry. This program was streamed live on February 9th,

2026, as part of the America's Town Hall series,

and is presented in partnership with citizen travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement

initiative of travelers. Gary, let's start with you. Before common sense appeared in January

1776, independence was far from inevitable.

What did the political mood look like in the colonies at that moment and why was pain willing to argue so plainly for independence

when many influential Americans at the time were still hoping for reconciliation?

There was a strong movement in the colonies for reconciliation led by a lot of notable people.

Benjamin Rush was a leader of that, also others.

And Washington even said anyone talking about independence he wouldn't accept.

And even Washington was turned by common sense from reading it.

Independence was the point of this instead of reconciliation, and that had to be crushed, that movement for reconciliation.

And that lasted all the way up to the Declaration.

People were still arguing for reconciliation, mostly the Tories and odds and ends, other people, who switched sides at one point after the fighting started.

There's only one historian that I found, Pauline Meyer, who died recently, unfortunately.

She claimed that common sense had no impact on the American

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