Visit Project Project Details
This digital critical edition of Thomas Paine's influential pamphlet, "Common Sense," explores a British re-printing produced by printer J. Almon in London in 1776. Unlike American editions, Almon censored portions of the text in this British version by simply leaving blank spaces in the typesetting where the objectionable words had been. This site features images of the British pamphlet's pages alongside a transcription of the text. The redacted portions are interactive, which allows viewers to see the removed text, read annotations exploring their significance, and make comments. There are also interpretive essays, exhibits, and lesson plans further unpacking the text's context and importance.
Subjects or Themes
American Revolution; Transatlantic Network; Printing; Enlightenment; censored text; Thomas Paine; libel; King George III; Political pamphlet
Project Language(s)
English
Time Period
Geographic Location
Project Categories
Content Type
Digital Critical Edition, Transcription, Text, Mapping, Teacher Resources
Target Audience(s)
Creators
Kate Johnson, Marie Pellissier, Kelly Schmidt
Year(s)
2017-2019
Host Institution / Affiliation / Project Location
Loyola University Chicago
Software Employed
Labor and Support
This project was created by three graduate students as part of coursework for two separate courses during the spring semester of 2017. Loyola University Chicago's Archives and Special Collections staff did the initial scanning of the pamphlet. The students took the scans and then built the website, including creating custom design work within Omeka, with server space paid for by Loyola's Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities. The students then researched, wrote, and created all of the supplementary materials, including recruiting other graduate students and scholars to write interpretive essays and lesson plans. The project took an estimated 500 hours of labor over two years.
Project Cost
Partnerships, funding sources, or grant-funding acknowledgement
This project was a partnership with Loyola University Archives and Special Collections, who provided the scans of the pamphlet, and Loyola's Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities, who provided technical support and server space.
