Thomas Jefferson is credited as the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence.
In June 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five to prepare a statement explaining the colonies’ decision to seek independence. The committee consisted of Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the initial draft, which the committee reviewed and submitted to Congress.
Congress then debated and edited the text, removing or changing several passages. The final document was adopted on July 4, 1776. Jefferson’s draft emphasized natural rights and argued that governments derive their legitimate powers from the consent of the governed.
The answer is sometimes confused with Benjamin Franklin or John Adams because both men helped shape the document and were influential members of the committee. Jefferson, however, is the recognized principal author. He was 33 years old when Congress adopted the declaration, and he later served as the third president of the United States.