The main author of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson. He was appointed by the Committee of Five, which included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, to draft the document because he was known as a skilled writer. Jefferson wrote the first draft largely in isolation between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The draft was then edited by the committee members and the Second Continental Congress before its adoption on July 4, 1776
. Jefferson drew on various sources, including George Mason's Declaration of Rights and Enlightenment ideas, to craft the Declaration. Although Congress made significant edits, including removing some of Jefferson's more radical language, he is recognized as the principal author of this foundational document of American independence
