Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, who was selected by the Continental Congress to draft the document in 1776. Jefferson's eloquent expression of the colonies' desire for independence from British rule captured the principles of individual rights and government by consent of the governed. His writing emphasized Enlightenment ideas, particularly the notion that all men are created equal and have unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While other Founding Fathers, like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, played significant roles in the independence movement and contributed thoughts toward the Declaration, it was Jefferson’s singular responsibility to articulate the formal declaration. Each of the men mentioned in the other options had their own important contributions to American history, but Jefferson is recognized as the principal author of this landmark document.