Thomas Jefferson was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence, the document at the heart of America250’s 1776 milestone.
The Second Continental Congress appointed Jefferson to the Committee of Five, alongside John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson wrote the initial draft, which the committee reviewed before submitting it to Congress. Congress then edited the text during debate in late June and early July 1776.
Jefferson’s authorship does not mean he acted alone. Franklin and Adams made suggestions, and Congress removed or changed passages, including a lengthy section criticizing the transatlantic slave trade. The final document announced the colonies’ separation from Great Britain and presented political arguments about natural rights and government. Its adoption on July 4, 1776, is the historical milestone commemorated by the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.