Which American statesman drafted the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. In June 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston to prepare the document; Jefferson wrote the principal draft.

Jefferson was chosen partly because of his strong writing ability and his reputation as a clear advocate for colonial rights. He produced the draft in Philadelphia, drawing on Enlightenment ideas about natural rights and government by consent. Adams and Franklin reviewed it before the committee submitted it to Congress.

Congress debated and edited Jefferson's text before adopting the final Declaration on 4 July 1776. This means Jefferson was the principal drafter, but he was not the only person involved in creating the document. A common mistake is to credit Franklin or Adams as the sole author because both helped revise it and were prominent members of the drafting committee.