Who wrote most of the Declaration of Independence honored by America250?

Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence honored by America250.

Congress appointed a five-member drafting committee in June 1776. Jefferson, a Virginia delegate, produced the main draft, which was then reviewed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Congress debated and edited the text before adoption.

Jefferson was 33 years old when he drafted the declaration. His prose presented arguments about natural rights, government by consent, and resistance to tyranny. The document also included a long list of grievances against George III, though Congress removed some passages during revision.

Jefferson’s authorship does not mean he acted alone. The committee shaped the process, Congress made substantial changes, and the Second Continental Congress adopted the final wording. George Washington was not a member of the drafting committee, although he was the Continental Army’s commander.