Brianna Lyman on the 250th Anniversary of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

Brianna Lyman, correspondent for The Federalist covering elections, immigration, and culture, spoke with Clay and Buck about her America 250 series of short videos on X. It’s a great way to teach your kids the history of our founding. Her latest installment goes back to January 9, 1776, when Thomas Paine published Common Sense and it went viral in the colonies.

Imagine its January 9, 1776. You head down to a print shop with two shillings in your pocket

You want to buy a copy of Common Sense

Published anonymously, Common Sense did something radical – it asked ordinary Americans to simply trust what they already felt. pic.twitter.com/LMDrDZNAjS

— Brianna Lyman (@briannalyman2) January 9, 2026