Who was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence celebrated by America250?

Thomas Jefferson was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence celebrated by America250.

The Second Continental Congress appointed a five-member committee to prepare a declaration explaining the colonies’ decision to separate from Great Britain. The committee included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the main draft, which the committee and Congress revised.

Jefferson’s text presented a philosophical case for natural rights and government based on the consent of the governed. It also listed grievances against King George III, describing why the colonies regarded British rule as unacceptable. The final document was adopted on July 4, 1776.

Jefferson was the principal drafter, not the sole author in the modern editorial sense. Adams and Franklin reviewed and edited the draft, and the full Congress made changes before adoption. This distinction explains why the Declaration is associated especially with Jefferson while still being a congressional document.