What group drafted and presented the Declaration of Independence to Congress in 1776?

The Committee of Five drafted and presented the Declaration of Independence to Congress in 1776.

The Second Continental Congress appointed the committee on June 11, 1776. Its members were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The group was asked to prepare a statement explaining why the colonies should separate from Britain.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft, while the other committee members reviewed it and suggested changes. Congress then edited the document before adopting the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The committee itself did not sign the final parchment as a separate body; its individual members later signed it, except Robert Livingston, who did not sign.

The Committee of Five is sometimes confused with the Continental Congress, which debated and adopted the Declaration. The committee drafted and presented the document, but Congress made the final decision and approved the text.