Who was the principal writer of the United States Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was the principal writer of the United States Declaration of Independence.

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 R. Livingston. Jefferson produced the main draft, which the other committee members and Congress revised.

Jefferson’s text presented arguments about natural rights and the legitimacy of government, then listed grievances against King George III. Congress edited or removed portions, including a passage criticizing the transatlantic slave trade. The final document was adopted on July 4, 1776.

Jefferson later became the third president of the United States, but his role as principal drafter should not be confused with sole authorship. The declaration was a congressional document, approved by delegates representing the thirteen colonies. Its ideas also reflected a wider intellectual tradition rather than Jefferson’s ideas alone.