“To Begin the World Over Again”: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
By Professor Brett Barker
April, 18, 2026

Two hundred and fifty years ago this spring, American colonist were at war with Great Britain. Yet we often forget that they had not yet declared their intention to become independent — that would come in July. In the period between the outbreak of the war in the spring of 1755 and July 4, 1776, no other leader, battle, speech, or pamphlet did more to persuade a majority of colonists to declare independence than did Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense.

In this presentation, Prof. Brett Barker will explain the arguments and genius contained in those 47 pages and explore how they helped created the United States.

Dr. Barker lives in Wausau and is a member of the Marathon County Historical Society Board of Directors. He has been teaching US history here since 2002 and is currently Chair of the Department of History and International Studies at UW-Stevens Point.