Thomas Jefferson was the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence, central to America’s 250th anniversary.
In June 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five 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 initial draft, drawing on ideas about natural rights and government by consent. The committee revised it before submitting it to Congress. Congress then edited the text during debate from June 28 through July 4, 1776.
Jefferson is often described as the author, but the final document was a product of committee work and congressional revision. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were especially influential in reviewing the draft. The Declaration’s language about equality and inalienable rights made it one of the most enduring documents associated with the American founding.