Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft of the United States Declaration of Independence, honored during America250.
On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five to prepare a declaration. Its members were Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. The committee assigned the principal writing to Jefferson, who produced the draft between June 11 and June 28.
Congress then debated and revised Jefferson's text before adopting the final declaration. Jefferson's draft was therefore not the untouched final document. Congress removed or changed several passages, including language about the slave trade and other criticisms of British rule.
Jefferson later served as the third president of the United States. His role as principal drafter is sometimes confused with John Adams's strong advocacy for independence or Franklin's membership on the drafting committee; both men helped shape the final result.