Such influential ideas were expressed by orators like Patrick Henry and his famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” » speech, declaring that Virginia was preparing for war against the British crown.[19] Other influential works were written by anonymous writers who resented British rule. Thomas Paine's Common Sense was widely known, selling more than "half a million copies" after its publication in January 1776[18] listing the reasons why the British were prohibited from continuing to publish them. control. These two works, and many others, urged American colonists to fight for their freedom and equality, which their "brothers in Europe knew at the time."