Who Was the Declaration of Independence Author? The Real Story Behind the Pen

You probably learned in third grade that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. That’s the "Jeopardy!" answer. It's technically true, but honestly, it’s a bit of a simplification that does a disservice to how messy and collaborative the summer of 1776 actually was in Philadelphia.

Jefferson was the guy with the pen, sure. But he wasn't acting alone. He was part of a "Committee of Five." This group included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Imagine a high-stakes group project where the deadline isn't a grade, but potentially a date with a hangman’s noose for treason. That’s the vibe.

Why Thomas Jefferson was the Declaration of Independence Author

Jefferson wasn't even the first choice for some people. John Adams was the powerhouse of the Continental Congress. He was loud. He was persistent. He was, by his own admission, "obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular." Adams knew that if he wrote the document, people would argue with it just because his name was on it.

He pushed the job onto Jefferson for three very specific reasons. First, Jefferson was a Virginian. You couldn't have a revolution led only by New Englanders; you needed the South on board. Second, Adams was busy with about twenty other committees. Third, and most importantly, Adams recognized that Jefferson had a "masterly pen." Jefferson had already written A Summary View of the Rights of British America, which showed he could turn a phrase better than almost anyone in the colonies.

So, at 33 years old, Thomas Jefferson sat down in a rented room at Jacob Graff’s house. He used a small wooden lap desk—a "laptop" of the 18th century—and started writing. He didn't have a library with him. He didn't have Google. He had his head, a few notes, and a deep familiarity with Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke.

The Influence of John Locke and the "Original" Draft

People often say Jefferson "copied" John Locke. That’s a bit harsh, but the DNA is definitely there. Locke’s Second Treatise of Government talked about "life, liberty, and property." Jefferson changed "property" to "the pursuit of happiness."

Why the swap?

"Property" felt a bit too narrow, a bit too much like a legal contract about land. "The Pursuit of Happiness" was a broader, more philosophical aim. It’s an interesting move. It shifted the document from a grievance about taxes and land to a document about human potential.

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But here’s the thing: Jefferson’s first draft was longer and angrier.

He actually included a scathing paragraph attacking King George III for the slave trade. He called it a "cruel war against human nature itself." This is where history gets complicated and, frankly, a little hypocritical. Jefferson was a slaveholder. Yet, he wrote this condemnation.

When the draft went to the full Continental Congress, they spent days hacking it apart. They cut the section on slavery entirely. South Carolina and Georgia wouldn't have it. They also didn't want to offend the British people, only the King. Jefferson sat in the corner of the room, fuming, as they deleted about a quarter of his work. He later called these edits "mangled."

The Committee of Five: Not Just a One-Man Show

While Jefferson was the primary Declaration of Independence author, the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were vital. Franklin was the ultimate editor. Legend has it that Jefferson originally wrote "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable."

Franklin crossed it out.

He suggested "self-evident."

It’s a tiny change that makes a massive difference. "Sacred" sounds religious. "Self-evident" sounds like science and logic. It moved the argument from the realm of faith to the realm of reason. That’s the genius of Franklin. He knew how to make a point unarguable.

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• Thomas Jefferson: The primary writer and stylist.
• John Adams: The political muscle who made sure it got passed.
• Benjamin Franklin: The editor who added clarity and philosophical weight.
• Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston: The guys who were there to represent their colonies and provide feedback, though they didn't do much of the actual writing.

The Misconception of the "Signing"

Most people picture July 4th as the day everyone lined up to sign the parchment.

That didn't happen.

The vote for independence actually happened on July 2nd. Adams thought July 2nd would be the great national holiday. The text of the Declaration was approved on July 4th, which is why that date is at the top. But the actual fancy parchment—the one you see in the National Archives—wasn't even signed until August 2nd for most members. Some people didn't sign it until months later.

If you look at the signatures, you'll see they are grouped by state. This was a legal document as much as a revolutionary one. They were essentially signing their own death warrants if the war was lost.

The Authorship Controversy (or Lack Thereof)

Was there ever a doubt who the Declaration of Independence author was? Not really, but Jefferson didn't actually brag about it for a long time. It wasn't until the 1790s, when political parties started forming, that his supporters began using his authorship as a political tool.

His rivals, the Federalists, tried to downplay it. They said he just compiled common ideas. Jefferson didn't necessarily disagree. Years later, he wrote to Henry Lee that the goal wasn't to be original, but to "place before mankind the common sense of the subject." He wasn't trying to invent a new philosophy; he was trying to justify a revolution using ideas that were already "in the air."

How to Deep Dive into the Text

If you want to really understand the work of the Declaration of Independence author, you have to look at the "Rough Draft" compared to the final version. The Library of Congress has these digitized.

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You’ll see Jefferson’s tiny handwriting with scratches and inserts. You can see where Adams and Franklin made their marks. It’s a reminder that great writing—especially writing that changes the world—is almost always the result of brutal editing.

The document is divided into four main parts:

1. The Preamble: The "Why we're doing this" section.
2. The Declaration of Rights: The "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness" part.
3. The Bill of Indictment: A long, laundry list of everything King George III did wrong.
4. The Statement of Independence: The "We’re out of here" conclusion.

The "Bill of Indictment" is actually the longest part, but it's the part people rarely read today. It’s full of specific 18th-century grievances about maritime law and troop quartering. But the Preamble? That’s what stayed. That’s the part that inspired the French Revolution, the Seneca Falls Convention, and civil rights movements around the world.

Why It Still Matters in 2026

The Declaration is more than just a historical artifact. It’s a "promissory note," as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously called it. When the Declaration of Independence author wrote "all men are created equal," he likely didn't include women, Indigenous people, or enslaved Black people in that definition.

But the words were more powerful than the man who wrote them.

The phrase took on a life of its own. It became a standard that the United States has been trying (and often failing) to live up to for two and a half centuries. The fact that the author was a flawed, contradictory figure doesn't change the weight of the words. If anything, it makes the study of the document more interesting. It’s a human document, written by human beings in a state of high anxiety and hope.

Practical Steps for History Buffs

To truly appreciate the work of Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five, you should take the following steps:

1. Read the "Rough Draught": Visit the Library of Congress online and look for Jefferson’s handwritten draft. Seeing the deletions is a masterclass in political compromise.
2. Visit the Graff House: If you’re ever in Philadelphia, skip the long line at Independence Hall for a moment and go to the corner of 7th and Market. That's a reconstruction of where the writing actually happened. It's much quieter and more evocative.
3. Compare the Locke Texts: Read a few pages of John Locke’s Second Treatise. You’ll see exactly where the "Life and Liberty" phrasing came from and realize that even the Founding Fathers relied on "curated" content.
4. Check the "Dunlap Broadsides": These were the first printed copies. Only a few exist today. They didn't have the famous signatures; they just had the text. It reminds you that the message was more important than the autographs at the time.

Jefferson wanted to be remembered for three things. He had them carved on his tombstone: Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. Notice he didn't mention being President. For him, being the Declaration of Independence author was his greatest legacy.