The Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson. He was appointed by the Committee of Five, which included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston, to draft the original document. Jefferson wrote the first draft largely in isolation between June 11 and June 28, 1776. Afterward, the draft was edited by the other committee members and then further revised by the Second Continental Congress before its adoption on July 4, 1776

. John Adams initially was considered to write the declaration but persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson due to his writing skills and popularity. Jefferson drew on various sources, including Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu, and earlier colonial documents. Despite changes made to his draft, Jefferson is credited as the primary author of this foundational American document