Who wrote most of the text of the U.S. Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the text of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental Congress appointed Jefferson to a five-member Committee of Five in June 1776, alongside John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.

Jefferson drafted the document at a rented house in Philadelphia. The committee reviewed his draft, and Congress then revised it during debates between June 28 and July 4, 1776. Jefferson was the principal writer, but the final text reflects editorial changes made by Congress.

A common mix-up is crediting Benjamin Franklin or John Adams as the author. Both helped review the draft and influenced its ideas, but Jefferson is recognized as its primary author. The Declaration announced the colonies' separation from Great Britain and presented a philosophical case for independence.