who wrote most of the declaration of independence?

Most of the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, who served as the document’s primary author.

Quick Scoop

• The Continental Congress appointed a five-man committee (Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston) to draft the Declaration, but Jefferson did most of the actual writing.

• Jefferson drafted the original text in June 1776, after which Adams, Franklin, and the Congress made edits and revisions rather than completely rewriting it.

• Because his draft formed the core of the final document, Jefferson is widely remembered as the main writer of the Declaration of Independence.

In short: a committee shaped it, but Jefferson’s pen did the heavy lifting.

TL;DR: Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence, with edits from a small committee and the full Continental Congress.

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