In part one of Books That Shaped America, University of Maryland History Professor Richard Bell explored [Common Sense], a 1776 pamphlet authored by Thomas Paine that urged the American colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. The program also includes a Library of Congress archivist talking about and showing an first edition copy of the text; a portrayal by Ian Ruskin of Paine explaining his writing style; a biographer who talked about the importance of Paine's relationship with Founding Father Benjamin Rush in getting the work published; comments from a high school teacher who described teaching [Common Sense] in his class; and an interview with a professor from the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies. Books That Shaped America is a 10-part series, created in partnership with the Library of Congress, that examines major works of literature that have had a significant impact on the country and public policy.