Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Independence, central to America250’s founding story. Congress appointed the Committee of Five on June 11, 1776, to prepare a document explaining the colonies’ decision to separate from Great Britain.
The committee included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Although Adams was a leading advocate for independence, he persuaded the committee to have Jefferson write the first draft. Jefferson produced it between June 11 and June 28, 1776, while living in Philadelphia.
The Continental Congress then edited Jefferson’s draft, removing roughly a fourth of its original text and revising its language. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. Jefferson’s role is sometimes simplified into the claim that he wrote every word, but the final document was shaped by committee suggestions and congressional revisions. The Declaration’s famous opening principles became a major part of the national history commemorated by America250 in 2026.