Anarchists in the United States, as in other societies, have a robust tradition. American anarchism traces its roots at least back to the Revolution, many of whose theorists advocated an anti-statism not all that far removed from anarchism. In Common Sense, Tom Paine distinguished between society and government, arguing that "the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices." Paine didn't disavow government altogether—he called it "a necessary evil"—but his critique of the dangers of state authority became a lodestar for radicals since.