The immediate sensation of 1776, Common Sense, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, had inspired many Americans of the time to fight for their independence. On January 10, 1776, the pamphlet was published at the beginning of the American Revolution and affected all the colonies. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud in taverns and meeting places. George Washington had also read it to all his troops, who had surrounded the British army in Boston at the time. In proportion to the population of the colonies at the time (2.5 million), it had the largest sales and circulation of any book published in American history. Paine wrote this pamphlet in four sections: Of the origin and design of government generally, with concise observations on the English Constitution; Of monarchy and hereditary succession; Thoughts on the current state of American affairs; On America's current capacity, with some miscellaneous reflections. Thomas Paine begins the first section of the pamphlet by distinguishing the differences between society and government. “Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state it is intolerable: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries FROM A GOVERNMENT, as we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is increased by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. " In other words, Paine is saying that society is all the good that people accomplish together and that government has its origins in human evil and is therefore, at best, a necessary evil. Paine says that the primary purpose of government is to protect life, liberty, and property, and that a government should be judged capable of accompanying... middle of paper... its revolt and rebelling against British rule. These motives consisted of : No other country would be willing to help the colonists if America was seen as a part of Britain; both thriving countries, France and Spain, will not help the colonies if they believe their help will be used by America to re-establish the relations with England; other countries will see the colonies as enemies if they are still part of Britain and by declaring independence, the colonies could begin to profit from international alliances and trade, which Britain would not allow . Paine concludes with a metaphor for the colonies if they don't act immediately; “The continent will feel like a man who keeps putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, but knows that it must be done, hates to engage in it, longs for it to end, and is continually haunted by the thought of its necessity.”