Who is credited with writing the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson is credited with writing the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776. As a member of the Continental Congress and a leading advocate for American independence, Jefferson was tasked with drafting this pivotal document. His eloquent prose articulated the colonies' reasons for seeking independence from British rule, emphasizing concepts of individual rights and government by consent.

Jefferson's role was crucial not only because he penned the majority of the document, but also because he encapsulated the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality that fueled the American Revolution. The Declaration has since become a foundational text in American history, representing the principles upon which the nation was built.

The other figures mentioned—George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin—were prominent in their contributions to the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States, but they did not author the Declaration of Independence. Washington led the Continental Army, Adams strongly supported independence, and Franklin negotiated crucial alliances, yet it was Jefferson's words that directly defined the colonies' quest for freedom in this landmark document.