Thomas Jefferson primarily wrote the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding document celebrated by America250.
On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five to prepare a declaration. Its members were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Adams supported Jefferson as the writer because he considered Jefferson a stronger stylist.
Jefferson produced the main draft between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The other committee members reviewed it, and Congress later edited the text during several days of debate. Congress approved the final wording on July 4, 1776, after removing and revising substantial passages.
Jefferson was the principal author, not the sole creator of the finished document. Adams and Franklin advised him, the committee reviewed the draft, and the full Congress made changes. Franklin is often associated with the Declaration because he served on the committee, while George Washington did not write it and was not a member of the committee.