The Committee of Five drafted the Declaration of Independence before its adoption, making it an important part of the founding history commemorated by America250. The Continental Congress appointed the committee on June 11, 1776.
Its members were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the initial draft, and the committee submitted it to Congress on June 28. Congress then debated and revised the text before adopting it on July 4.
The committee should not be confused with the Continental Congress itself, which made the final decision and approved the document. Nor was Jefferson the only person involved: the Committee of Five represented a collaborative drafting stage, followed by formal congressional action.