For America's 250th anniversary, who wrote most of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress appointed Jefferson to the Committee of Five with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson produced the main draft in June 1776, drawing on political ideas about natural rights, government, and the right of revolution.

Congress edited the draft before adopting it on July 4, removing or changing some passages. One deleted section criticized the transatlantic slave trade, while other wording was altered to secure broader agreement among delegates. Jefferson later remained closely associated with the document, even though the final text was a congressional product rather than a work approved exactly as he first wrote it. His principal authorship is one of the most recognizable facts tied to the 1776 milestone commemorated by America250.