Which 1776 document named Thomas Jefferson as its principal drafter?

The Declaration of Independence was the 1776 document for which Thomas Jefferson served as principal drafter.

The Second Continental Congress appointed a five-member drafting committee consisting of Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the initial draft, while the committee and Congress revised its language before adoption.

The document announced that the thirteen colonies regarded themselves as independent states and explained the political principles behind that decision. Its famous argument about equality and inalienable rights drew on Enlightenment ideas, though the new nation did not immediately apply those ideals equally to all people.

Jefferson’s role as principal drafter is different from being the sole author or the only person responsible for the final text. Congress debated and edited the document, removing or changing substantial passages. The Declaration therefore reflects both Jefferson’s draft and the collective action of the Continental Congress.