Five delegates served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence for America250’s founding story.
Congress appointed the Committee of Five on June 11, 1776. Its members were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. The committee was responsible for preparing a document that would explain the case for independence if Congress approved the pending independence resolution.
Jefferson wrote the principal draft, while the other committee members reviewed it and suggested changes. The committee submitted its draft to Congress on June 28. Congress then made further edits during debate before adopting the Declaration on July 4.
The committee’s membership reflected different colonies and political experiences. Adams was a leading advocate of independence, Franklin was an internationally respected statesman, Sherman represented Connecticut, and Livingston represented New York. The committee should not be confused with the full Second Continental Congress, which included delegates from all thirteen colonies.