Five members served on the Committee of Five that prepared the Declaration of Independence for Congress.
Congress appointed the committee on June 11, 1776. Its members were Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston of New York. Their assignment was to draft a public explanation of the colonies’ decision to seek independence.
Jefferson wrote the principal draft, while the other members reviewed and discussed it before submission. Congress then considered the text, making additional revisions before adopting the Declaration on July 4. The committee therefore played an important drafting role, but it did not independently approve the final document.
The group is called the Committee of Five because it had five members, not because five people signed the Declaration. The final parchment was signed by 56 delegates, and the Second Continental Congress included representatives from all thirteen colonies. America250’s historical story includes each of these distinct stages: drafting, debate, adoption, and signing.