Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, a central document commemorated by America's 250th anniversary.
The Second Continental Congress appointed Jefferson to the Committee of Five, which was tasked with preparing a declaration explaining the colonies' decision to seek independence from Britain. The other committee members were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
Jefferson drafted the document mainly between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The committee reviewed it before presenting it to Congress, which debated and edited the draft. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776, while delegates signed the engrossed copy beginning on August 2.
Jefferson was the primary writer, but the Declaration was a collaborative political document. Adams and Franklin made changes, and Congress removed or revised substantial passages. A common mix-up is treating Jefferson as the sole author rather than the principal author within a committee and Congress.