Published in 1829, David Walker's Appeal delivered a furious indictment of American slavery and racism while articulating the necessity of resisting immoral authority by any means necessary. The significance of Walker's pamphlet is not limited to this ideological message, however. Walker believed that the disparity between the condition of Black Americans and the "unalienable rights" and republican principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence could be a rallying point for Black Americans seeking to be recognized as citizens. Like Thomas Paine, whose 1776 pamphlet Common Sense helped propel the American colonies toward independence, Walker recognized the importance of claiming a public voice through which to communicate with both Black and White Americans, and the utility of using printed documents to do so.