Final answer:
Thomas Paine, the journalist who wrote 'Common Sense,' played a key role in promoting the idea of American independence from Britain through his pamphlet. The pamphlet's simple language and strong arguments helped to widely circulate the revolutionary ideas it contained, influencing many colonists and the Continental Congress itself as they moved towards declaring independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The famous journalist who wrote "Common Sense" was Thomas Paine. This influential pamphlet, published in 1776, was written in simple and direct language, making it accessible to a broad audience beyond the educated elite. Paine's work argued emphatically for the Thirteen Colonies' independence from Great Britain and for the establishment of a republican form of government, which resonated with the sentiments of the day. Common Sense played a pivotal role in shaping public opinion and was widely disseminated throughout the colonies, fostering support for the American Revolution and the subsequent Declaration of Independence.
Paine's arguments presented in Common Sense emphasized the impracticality and injustice of British rule over the colonies. He employed "simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense," effectively articulating the colonial dissatisfaction that had been present in Congress, assemblies, and newspapers prior to its publication. The pamphlet's popularity soared because it captured and distilled the spirit of independence that was already brewing among the colonists. The impact of Common Sense was so significant that it helped to consolidate the burgeoning movement towards independence, ultimately coinciding with the Second Continental Congress's adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.