Thomas Jefferson chaired the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, a document central to America250.
The Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five in June 1776 to prepare a declaration explaining the colonies’ case for independence. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the main draft, which the committee then presented to Congress.
Congress revised the text during debate before adopting it on July 4, 1776. Jefferson therefore wrote the principal draft, but he did not act alone and did not independently approve the final document. The committee’s other members helped shape the proposal, while the full Congress made the formal decision.
This distinction explains why several famous founders are associated with the Declaration. John Hancock presided over Congress and became known for the prominent signature on the engrossed copy; Franklin served on the drafting committee; Washington was not a member of it.