Which five-member body drafted the Declaration of Independence commemorated by America250?

The Committee of Five drafted the Declaration of Independence commemorated by America250.

The Second Continental Congress appointed the committee on June 11, 1776, to prepare a declaration explaining the colonies’ decision to seek independence from Great Britain. Its members were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.

The committee selected Jefferson to write the initial draft. Adams and Franklin suggested changes, and Congress later edited the text during debate. Jefferson therefore served as the principal author, but the document was produced through committee work and congressional revision.

The Committee of Five should not be confused with the Second Continental Congress itself. Congress debated and adopted the final declaration, while the five-member committee was specifically responsible for preparing the draft presented to Congress.