Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding document honored by America250.
In June 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five to prepare a declaration explaining why the colonies were separating from Great Britain. The committee included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson produced the principal draft.
Congress debated and revised Jefferson’s wording before adopting the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The final text therefore reflects the work of Congress rather than Jefferson alone. Important passages, including the statement that all men are created equal, became especially influential in later American political history.
Jefferson later served as the third president of the United States. A common error is crediting Benjamin Franklin or John Adams as the main author because both helped revise the draft and were prominent members of the committee. Their contributions were important, but Jefferson wrote the principal version.