Thomas Gordon was a Scottish writer and Commonwealthman. Along with John Trenchard, he published a weekly periodical, The Independent Whig. From 1720 to 1723, Trenchard and Gordon wrote a series of 144 essays entitled Cato's Letters, condemning corruption and lack of morality within the British political system and warning against tyranny. The essays were published as Essays on Liberty, Civil and Religious, at first in the London Journal and then in the British Journal. These essays became a cornerstone of the Commonwealth man tradition and were influential in shaping the ideas of the Country Party. The ideas played an important role in shaping republicanism in Britain and especially in the American colonies leading up to the American revolution. Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This is Thomas^^Gordon.