Who chaired the Committee of Five that drafted the United States Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson chaired the Committee of Five that drafted the United States Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress appointed the committee on June 11, 1776. Its members were Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New York.

Jefferson wrote the initial draft, drawing on contemporary ideas about natural rights and legitimate government. Adams and Franklin reviewed the text, and the committee submitted it to Congress on June 28. Congress then debated and revised the document before adopting it on July 4.

Jefferson's chairmanship does not mean he acted alone. The committee was a five-member body, Congress made the final decisions, and the Declaration reflected political arguments developed across the colonies. Adams and Franklin were especially influential in shaping and defending the draft during the congressional debate.