The revolution. There was a lot of pamphleteering leading up to the revolution, which you can read about in Bailyn, Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Common Sense was the match that fell into the keg and pushed everyone over the point of no return in rebelling against England. It is important not only for that, buy you have to look at the fact that these people were British and they didn't want to rebel. They were British colonists who followed the British system. They admired their laws and their system, just as Americans admire or Constitution. The revolution only came about because they were trying to get the motherland to follow its own law. They were being betrayed by a king who was treating them poorly, breaking the law when it came to the colonies.
I would look into this. Keywords are the charters argument, the Constitutional argument, and the natural rights argument. Abramson's book We the Jury also gives good information on this. It should encourage further reading. It's important now, considering that we have a"militia " in open Rebellion in Oregon, saying they are defending the Constitution. They are really just being threats to liberty. They don't understand anything about the Constitution, and actual Constitutional law reveals this. So if you understand Common Sense, you will be able to better defend liberty and make a strong case.
