As the fighting wore on, however, and England made no move to address the grievances of the American colonies, it seemed increasingly clear that independence was the only option. In the beginning months of 1776, a new pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine, began making the rounds of the colonial public. This pamphlet, Common Sense, was to make a big difference in the mindset of the American people, and convince many once and for all that they must fight for independence.
Thomas Paine is an interesting figure in American history. Born and raised in England, he met Benjamin Franklin in London in 1774, after which he first came to the colonies moving to Philadelphia. He had been in the colonies less than two full years when he wrote his famous pamphlet. After the end of the war he moved to France, where he became a prominent figure in the French’s own Revolution.
Not everyone was swayed by Common Sense. Many in the colonies remained loyal to England. On May 15th, 1776, Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia delegates brought forward a motion in the Second Continental Congress that a declaration of independence be drawn up and signed.
Great debate arose about this idea. The majority of the Congress saw that if the war were to continue, independence was inevitable. However, they did not believe that the colonies were yet ready to accept it. Give the colonies time and they would eventually turn around and welcome such a declaration with open arms.