Through what medium were the intellectual ideas that sparked the American Revolution most effectively and broadly circulated?

The American Revolution found a lot of inspiration in the many works published by Enlightenment thinkers. These books contained revolutionary ideas, such as Rousseau's "Social Contract", which suggested that if a government did not serve its people's best interest it should be replaced.

Explanation:

These European ideas circulated among intellectuals in the colonies, but then inspired local men, like Thomas Paine, to write pamphlets in a simpler language that could be understood by everyone. Thomas Paine's pamphlet called "Common Sense" was widely distributed and was instrumental in convincing many colonists to join the war effort.