How did the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense influence the colonists? a. It convinced most that it was time to make the break with Britain and create a new nation of their own. b. It was Congress’s official statement of war with Britain, which the colonists rallied behind. c. It reminded the colonists that they owed their allegiance and loyalty to the crown. d. It scared many colonists into thinking that their militia could never withstand Britain’s highly trained forces.